Kyuubi No Kagome
by Ardwolf
Summary: Kagome had always known how important human speech was when dealing with strangers. But she’d never considered how important human shape was. Now she has neither—in a world stranger than either side of the Bone Eater’s well...
1. 1 Dramatis Personae

Chapter 1 - Dramatis Persone

Kagome had always known how important human _speech_ was when dealing with strangers. But she'd never considered how important human _shape_ was. Now she has neither--in a world stranger than either side of the Bone Eater's well…

This is a _Pokémon_/_Inuyasha_ crossover that takes place late in the _Pokémon_ first season but before the Pokémon League championship, and follows the last episode (#167) of the _Inuyasha_ television series.

Before anyone writes to comment on Kagome's eye color, yes, it's a _complicated_ subject--even before this story begins…

**Disclaimer:** I do not own and did not create _Pokémon_, _Inuyasha,_ or many of the characters and locations mentioned in this story. This is after all _fan fiction_, which by definition means I use characters and settings created by others to tell stories the original authors never envisioned. It's also done without their knowledge or consent but since no one makes any money on fan fiction most original authors turn a blind eye...

I hope this poor attempt does justice to the works of both Satoshi Tajiri and Rumiko Takahashi, the creators of _Pokémon_ and _Inuyasha_ respectively. If you like this story please make sure to check out _their_ original works. Both are phenomenal authors who deserve high praise for their outstanding creations!

Finally, the story hook that inspired me came from CatgirlKitsune's incomplete story _The Nine Tailed Miko_. Although I tried, unfortunately I was not able to get in touch with her for permission to continue her story. So I took the story hook and created a brand new story around it.

I hope she approves of the result. :)

**Author's Note:** Although _Inuyasha_ and _Pokémon _are extremely popular around the world, you may not be familiar with either show, especially if you live in the United States. Even in Europe or Asia children may not have seen _Inuyasha_ (intended for more mature audiences) while adults may have dismissed _Pokémon _as "just for kids".

Both shows have worlds with intricate and rich histories developed over many years. For example, _Inuyasha_ has 167 animated episodes and 4 movies which cover only _one half_ of the storyline. _Pokémon _has over _400_ episodes and 11 movies--and currently adds new episodes weekly!

Don't worry if you haven't seen _Pokémon_ before. It isn't much of a spoiler to reveal Kagome ends up in that world, and needs lots of things explained to her...

Unfortunately there's no such convenient plot device if you aren't familiar with _Inuyasha. _Instead I provide a _dramatis personae_, a small summary of who the characters are and their relationships to one another. There's also a small glossary of important Japanese words and customs, plus a short list of important items featured in the show.

I hope you find it useful. If you're familiar with _Inuyasha_, feel free to jump straight to chapter 2 which is where the story really begins.

Remember, I did not create either show--I'm just a fan-fiction author. :)

* * *

**_The World Of Inuyasha_**

**Plot Overview:** A 15 year-old girl is kidnapped by a demon that emerges from the old well at her family's Shinto shrine. The well is a magical gateway that sends them both back in time 500 years, to the _Sengoku _period (Japan's feudal era). While in the past, she and the other main characters hunt for shards of a dangerous and powerful artifact called the Shikon Jewel.

**Main Characters**

_Kagome Higurashi _– The main heroine, an otherwise typical 15 year-old Japanese girl who is the reincarnation of the priestess Kikiyo, the original guardian of the Shikon Jewel. She and Inuyasha have a--complicated--relationship.

_Inuyasha_ – A half-demon, whose father was a Dog demon (of noble blood) and whose mother was human noblewoman. He was romantically involved with Kikiyo 50 years before Kagome's appearance in the past. He still has feelings for Kikiyo, which is part of the complexity in his relationship with Kagome--who _strongly_ resembles Kikiyo.

_Miroku_ – A Buddhist monk whose family has been cursed by Naraku so that the eldest living male would have a magical hole in the palm of their right hand. The hole (called the _Wind Tunnel_) acts like a black hole, sucking in everything in front of it. Eventually it will grow so powerful it will suck in Miroku himself, killing him. Miroku is Sango's fiancé--and a notorious pervert.

_Sango – _Miroku's fiancé and a demon-slayer, from a village of demon slayers. (Think a whole village of Buffy-esque ninjas, male and female). The Shikon Jewel was originally created in her village. Naraku destroyed the village in his relentless pursuit of the Jewel, leaving Sango and her brother the only survivors.

_Kirara – _Sango's companion, mount, and active partner in demon slaying. She normally appears to be a long-haired white kitten with two tails and large pinkish-red eyes although she can transform into a huge saber-toothed version of her kitten form. She is devoted to Sango, and very fond of Shippo. She has human level intelligence although she cannot speak.

_Shippo_ – A young fox demon who appears to be a 7 year old human from the waist up and a fox from the waist down, complete with tail. He dotes on Kirara, considering her his best friend.

**Important Items**

_Shikon Jewel – _A lavender pearl the size of a golf ball. Unfortunately, an accident caused the Jewel to explode and scatter shards of itself across the countryside. While the intact Jewel can amplify the powers of any demon a thousand-fold even a tiny shard can boost a demon's power (and aggression) ten-fold. Did I mention there are _hundreds_ of shards?

_Bone-Eater's Well – _The name of the well Kagome uses to travel back and forth through time.

_Hiraikotsu – _Sango's giant boomerang, her preferred weapon. It's about two meters from tip to tip and wide enough to be used as a shield. It is made of demon bones fused together and has a limited awareness.

_Tetsusaiga_ – Inuyasha's (magical) sword, left to him by his father.

**Minor Characters**

_Kikiyo_ – A priestess pivotal to the events that occur in _Inuyasha. _She actually died 50 years prior to Kagome's emergence into the past. It was during this time Kikiyo and Inuyasha met--and fell in love. Due to a deception by Naraku Kikiyo was killed, and died believing Inuyasha had betrayed her.

Shortly after Kagome arrived in the Feudal Era an evil witch resurrected Kikiyo as a kind of undead golem/zombie servant. Kikiyo promptly killed the witch to gain her freedom and now wanders the Feudal Era, looking for a way to kill Naraku permanently. The fact she's now "alive" doesn't make the relationship between Inuyasha and Kagome any simpler.

_Naraku_ – A spider half-demon, incredibly evil and manipulative, a genius at working from the shadows to further his nefarious schemes. Naraku is the Big Bad of the Inuyasha universe. If something horrible happens you'll probably find Naraku pulling the strings. He delights in setting close allies at each other's throats.

_Kagura _– A female incarnation of Naraku, literally born when Naraku shed part of his body. She does not serve him willingly.

_Hakudoshi_ – A male incarnation of Naraku, who appears as a white haired demon child, about sx years-old. A willing ally of Naraku, he enjoys killing people, the more gruesomely the better.

_Kohaku_ – Sango's brother, and Naraku's mind-wiped puppet. He has tried to kill Sango several times since falling prey to Naraku.

_Koga_ – The chieftain of the Wolf Demons, he bears two shards of the Shikon Jewel in his legs, making him so fast he can outrun any demon in Inuyasha's universe.

_Myoga_ – A humanoid flea approximately 2.5 centimeters tall. He was the loyal retainer of Inuyasha's father and now Inuyasha. Myoga is incredibly well informed about both human and demon affairs and in spite of his intense cowardice has proven extremely valuable to Inuyasha.

_Sesshomaru – _Inuyasha's (half) brother (they share the same father). He is known for his dislike of humans.

_Jaken_ – Sesshomaru's loyal retainer, noted for being extremely ugly. He is green, with a beak and huge yellow eyes. Kagome calls Jaken a toad, although he is probably some type of lizard demon. Nobody on the Internet seems to know exactly what he is.

_Totosai _– A demon blacksmith who appears to be an old man. He forged Tetsusaiga and was a loyal retainer to Inuyasha's father. Kagome has a soft spot for Totosai even though Inuyasha finds him extremely annoying.

_Hosenki – _Guardian of the "last" shard. After he died the demon Hosenki took the last shard with him to his final resting place, the gigantic bones of Inuyasha's father. There he hoped to protect the shard from Naraku.

**Original Characters**

The following characters are entirely my creation and not part of cannon.

_Akane_ – The wife of the inn keeper. She appears to be a typical young Japanese woman.

_Kei _– The inn keeper, a middle-aged man

_Tomoko_ – The twelve year-old daughter of Kei and Akane.

_Kenta – _A villager.

_Sumi_ – Kenta's dog, a large black Akita.

**Some Handy Translations Of Japanese Terms and Customs**

_-chan, -san, -sama, _and _-hakubo_. Japanese as a language is primarily focused on recognition of status between the speaker and the listener. To this end the language uses honorific suffixes. Three of the most important are _chan_, _san_, and _sama_. _Chan _is a diminutive, often used when referring to children or pets. Short (1-2 syllable) names simply add _-chan_, longer names are typically shortened before _-chan_ is added. So Tomoko (a young girl) would be _Tomo-chan_. Shippo would be _Shippo-chan_.

_San_ is the all purpose honorific. It is roughly the equivalent of _Mr., Miss, _or _Mrs._ In my story I only use _san_ when I want to show the speaker is being extra polite or formal. In real Japanese the only time you omit the _san_ from a person's name is A) to insult them or B) to show an extremely close relationship, such as being a family member or _very_ close friend.

_Sama_ is a sign of great respect, somewhat like _sir _or _madam_. It indicates your recognition that the person you are addressing has a higher status than you do. Your boss's boss would be one example. In my story I use _sama_ to indicate the speaker feels they are holding the person being referred to in great respect, or are honoring them. Whenever you hear _honored_ (honored guest for example) you can bet there's a _sama_ or its equivalent in the Japanese word.

_Hakubo_ means aunt. So _Akane-hakubo _literally means "Aunt Akane". Interestingly there are suffixes for all close family relationships, from brothers and sisters to cousins. Family is _very_ important in Japan.

_Nakama_ – This word pretty much means "family who aren't blood relations". In other words, someone who's just as close as your family members, but isn't related to you. In Japan _nakama _is a very, very big deal, and people will do almost anything for a member of their _nakama_.

_No – _The closest translation would be "of". Therefore the expression _kyuubi no kitsune_ means nine tails of (the) fox. Or "fox with nine tails". _Kyuubi no Kagome_ means "Kagome's nine tails".

_Hanyo - _Half-demon, literally, half-youkai.

_Kami_ – Literally means "spirit", but (as I use it in the story) it can also be the spirit that protects a place--a town, a house, or even a forest.

_Kitsune_ – A fox demon. Kitsune also means "fox", as in the animal. In ancient Japan any fox who lived long enough became a fox spirit, and the longer they lived the more powerful they became.

_Kyuubi _– Literally _nine tails_. _Kyuu _is the Japanese word for nine, and _bi_ means tail.

**_Metric System Measurement Conversions_**

Readers in the United States may not be fluent with metric measurements, so here are some (approximate) conversions of some of the more common measurements I use in the story.

_2.5 centimeters_ – one inch  
_5 centimeters – _two inches  
_15 centimeters _– about 6 inches  
_A third of a meter _– about 1 foot  
_Two thirds of a meter_ - about 2 feet  
_A meter_ – About three feet. (1 yard)  
_A meter and a half – _About 5 feet (very roughly)  
_10 meters – _About 30 feet (roughly 33 feet)  
_20 meters_ – About 60 feet (roughly 66 feet)  
_200 meters _– About 200 yards (656 feet, actually)  
_10 kilo(gram)s_ – 22 pounds  
_20 kilograms_ – 44 pounds  
_110 centimeters_ – 1.1 meters, about 3.5 feet


	2. 2 Curse of the Kitsune Who Loved Too Wel

Chapter 2 – The Curse of the Kitsune Who Loved Too Well

"I want to sleep in a _real_ bed tonight." Kagome said wearily as the group trudged along. "_And_ have a bath first."

"Feh." Inuyasha snorted. "Sleeping outside won't kill you. And we always camp close to a stream. How come you never take a bath unless we stop in a village? I don't see what you see in them anyway."

"That's because streams are _cold_, Inuyasha!" Kagome retorted with ill temper. "I like to take a bath without freezing to death, thank you very much. And it wouldn't hurt you to bathe more often either."

"As if." The hanyou growled. "Bathing too much makes you all wrinkly. _Everybody_ knows that."

"Now, now you two." Miroku spoke up. "Let's not fight. It's been a long day and we're all tired. I wouldn't mind a hot meal, a soft bed and perhaps a young lady to wash my--"

_Thunk._

"Ouch. Sango! Watch where you swing that thing." Miroku complained, rubbing his head.

"I'm _terribly _sorry, dear Miroku. I can't imagine how Hiraikotsu slipped." Sango said contritely, but with a deadly glare at her fiancé as she shifted the giant boomerang slung across her back. "It just can't seem to control itself."

"Sounds like a certain monk." Shippo muttered. Raising his voice the young fox demon said. "It would be nice to have some rice balls. I'm kind of hungry. We've been walking all day and those _ponkan_ we found were tasty but they don't stay with you."

"Oh, Shippo I'm so sorry!" Kagome said. "I don't have anything with me. We'll camp soon and find something for you."

"Little baby." Inuyasha muttered. "And by _we _you mean _me_ don't you Kagome? Not like _you_ could catch anything."

"Honestly, Inuyasha, sometimes you're just so _rude_." Kagome scolded him. "I may not be able to catch rabbits but I did find the _ponkan_ tree. You ate as much as anybody."

"Yeah, well, there weren't any rabbits and fishing takes too long. We're in a hurry aren't we?" Inuyasha demanded.

"It's not like we know where the next shard is!" Kagome fumed. "For all we know I might be carrying the last one."

"Yes, the Shikon Jewel was nearly complete." Sango commented. "Kagome might really have the last shard."

"No way." Inuyasha shook his head. "If we had the last shard you can bet Naraku would be all over us. That overgrown spider may stink like a privy but he's never been shy about trying to kill us."

"True enough." Miroku admitted. "And there are the two shards in Koga's legs as well. Who knows how many more shards could be lurking about?"

"Yeah, well we thought Hosenki was guarding the last shard in my old man's bones." Inuyasha said shortly. "Look how well _that _turned out. There's gotta be more shards we haven't found."

"You should show your father more respect, Inuyasha." Miroku said mildly. "He was a great and noble demon, after all."

"As far as I'm concerned Tetsusaiga was the only decent thing my father ever left me." The half-demon said, patting his sword. "The old man's in the netherworld now and it's welcome to him!"

Miroku sighed in resignation. Kagome shook her head, her irritation with the hanyou giving way to sympathy. She thought it too sad for words that Inuyasha had no feelings for his father. She had lost her own father to an accident when she was very young. She didn't remember him at all and wished she could.

"Well, look at that." Inuyasha said suddenly as they topped a small hill. Smirking, he said "Looks like you get your bath after all, Kagome."

"A village!" Kagome exclaimed in delight. "A decent meal and a roof over our heads!"

"Feh. Weakling humans." Inuyasha sneered. "It's amazing the lot of you are still around, the way you need coddling."

"Yes, well Inuyasha there's no shame indulging oneself in life's simple pleasures." Miroku said easily. "A full belly, a warm dry bed and walls to keep evil at bay. Nothing wrong with that, is there, my dear Sango?"

"Depends on _whose _bed, monk." Sango said darkly. Miroku looked hurt.

Shippo suddenly scurried forward, nose high, sniffing. "I smell fox magic." He said excitedly.

Inuyasha sniffed deeply. "I don't smell anything, Shippo. You sure?"

"I know fox magic when I smell it, Inuyasha." Shippo retorted. "You may have a better nose than me but you aren't a fox demon. Trust me; I'd know that scent anywhere. And it's _really_ strong too!"

"I dunno Shippo. Looks pretty normal to me." Inuyasha said doubtfully, hand on sword hilt. "Like every other human village we've seen. A little less shabby, maybe."

"I'm telling you there's fox magic here, Inuyasha! Just because I'm a little kid doesn't mean I'm stupid you know." The young fox demon retorted.

"Can you sense anything, Miroku?" Kagome asked. It wasn't that she doubted Shippo, but there wasn't any hint of demon presence as far as she could tell. The village below seemed peaceful and quiet. She could see a few villagers still returning from the fields.

"No." Miroku shook his head. "Nothing."

Carefully the group started forward, Shippo darting excitedly from one side of the road to the other.

"Man, the smell is _everywhere_." He said, his tail actually waving enthusiastically. "Inuyasha, can't you smell it _yet?_"

Inuyasha shook his head, gripping his sword uneasily. The village looked completely normal. There wasn't a hint of demonic aura. Even the villagers didn't seem alarmed to see strangers coming.

Sango glanced at her twin-tailed kitten companion. "Do you sense anything, Kirara?"

"_Pir._" The kitten mewed, looking up with her wide red eyes. She seemed unconcerned by whatever was exciting Shippo.

"There's the inn." Kagome said in relief. "Let's get something to eat. Maybe we'll hear something from one of the villagers."

"Kagome, the smell is strongest near the inn." Shippo announced.

"Huh?" Kagome asked, one foot raised as she was about to step on the porch. "Shippo, are you sure?"

"Yes." Shippo nodded rapidly several times.

"Enough." Inuyasha growled, striding across the porch. "I'm hungry. Any demon wants a piece of me had better wait 'til after supper." He disappeared through the doorway.

"Inuyasha can be so impulsive." Sango said with a sigh. Miroku nodded.

"True, but in this case I agree with him, Sango. Stay alert but let's not borrow trouble."

Sango nodded as the group removed their shoes and entered the inn.

The inn was crowded with villagers, which was unusual. But the crowd was relaxed, not tense. A young and graceful woman approached them and bowed.

"Welcome honored travelers to our humble inn. Your rooms are being prepared and the baths are being drawn. Please, rest here while I bring you food."

"That would be great." Kagome said, sinking onto the cushion with a sigh. Shippo was almost quivering with excitement as he sat down.

"Can't you _feel _it?" He asked, louder than he intended, drawing several stares from the villagers around them. Kagome caught the word _kitsune_ as the background noise slowly faded into silence.

_Oh this can't be good._ She thought worriedly. Shippo was sitting still, eyes wide as he took in the crowd's silence. A lot of them were frowning at the young fox demon.

"Did I say something wrong?" He asked with a sickly grin as he edged closer to Kagome. Inuyasha sat up, gripping his sword tighter.

"Is there a problem here?" Miroku stood up slowly, staff in hand. "My good people, we're just innocent travelers. We mean you no harm."

"Yeah? Then why'd you bring a damn fox to our village?" A rough looking local asked. "You trying to bring down bad luck on us all? That thing will poison the wells and blight our harvest!"

"No I won't!" Shippo said with a gulp. "I'm just a little kid!"

"Hah, that's what you want us to think!" An old woman sneered. "We know your kind, fox. You can't fool us with your tricks!"

"Hang on, what are you people _talking_ about?" Inuyasha demanded. "Leave Shippo alone. He never did anything to you!"

"Another demon!" One of the farmers snorted. "Damn pests."

"What did you say?" Inuyasha growled, springing to his feet, arm tense as he prepared to draw Tetsusaiga.

"We're not afraid of you demon!" Another farmer shouted. "Our _kami _protects this village! He'll soon deal with _you!_"

"Oh yeah? Bring him on then! Where's this precious _kami_ of yours? I'll slice him in two!"

"Inuyasha," Kagome said in a warning tone. "You're making a scene."

"Well _they_ started it." Inuyasha said, glancing at Kagome uneasily. "Besides, they were picking on Shippo. Only _I_ get to do that."

"I'm sure there's just been a misunderstanding my good people." Miroku said in a placating tone. "Why don't we all just calm down? I can vouch for Shippo. While he can be a bit mischievous he'd never try to hurt anyone."

"Oh yeah? That fox demon's probably bewitched the lot of you!" A voice from the back of the inn shouted. "Kenta, you oughta sic your dog on that fox!"

"Good idea." The rough looking local that had spoken first got up and headed for the door.

"Kenta, you will not bring your dog into this inn!" The innkeeper, well into middle age, strode forward. "You know it frightens Akane and Tomoko. It tried to bite Tomoko last year! I forbid it!"

"Kei, don't be like that." The other man said over his shoulder. "Just kick that vermin fox out the door and I'll have Sumi kill it. No need to frighten your wife or daughter."

"Nobody's setting a dog on Shippo while I'm around." Inuyasha growled and drew his sword. For a moment it looked like a rusty old katana but there was a flash of light and the slender sword transformed into a massively wide curved blade with a fur covered guard. Kenta took one look at the sword and turned to run, vanishing into the twilight.

"Please good sir, put away your sword." The woman who originally greeted them had returned. She bowed almost to the floor. "My husband and I wish to apologize for the rudeness shown you. Please, forgive us and let us make amends."

"Yes, please." The innkeeper hurried forward. "It is the wish of our _kami_ that this inn welcome all visitors who come in peace. There are charms and sutras carved into every threshold to keep out evil." The innkeeper looked around sternly. He spoke sharply.

"Everyone here _knows_ that! By crossing the threshold they proved their good intent. Had they been evil they could not have entered. This the _kami_ has decreed. Does anyone here question the _kami_?"

The crowd suddenly seemed very interested in whatever was on the table in front of them.

The innkeeper's wife loudly clapped her hands twice. "Please, everyone let us not quarrel. This inn has stood for a hundred years. It has always been a sanctuary to the weary and the hunted, the very name _Hogoku no Aki_, Autumn's Sanctuary reminds us of the peace our inn offers all. Put aside your fears, you are safe here. Our _kami_ protects the village from demons and bandits alike. The _kami _carved the seals that protect this inn. There is nothing to fear."

Inuyasha let Tetsusaiga revert to its smaller form and sheathed it. "I got no quarrel with you, and you don't need to apologize. You weren't the one who tried to hurt Shippo." He glared around the room. "Anybody else got a problem with us? Cause I'll be glad to step outside and deal with it."

The crowd avoided his challenging stare.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Satisfied the half-demon sat back down.

"Please, as an apology, eat and stay the night free of charge." The innkeeper said.

"Oh we couldn't do that." Kagome protested. "It wasn't your fault, it was just a misunderstanding. It happens."

"I insist." The innkeeper said. He bowed and withdrew.

"My husband is right. Please accept--as a small token of our regret. This inn is very special, and my husband and I have obligations to the _kami_. You would do us honor by accepting."

"Then we would be honored to accept." Miroku said smoothly, bowing. "Far be it for guests to dishonor their host by interfering with the host's obligations."

"Your dinner will be here shortly." The innkeeper's wife bowed and left to tend to her other guests.

"Kagome?" Shippo put a hand on her arm to attract her attention.

"What is it, Shippo?" She asked.

The fox demon lowered his voice so the villagers around them couldn't hear him.

"That nice lady is a fox demon in human shape."

"_What?_" Kagome gasped. "Shippo, are you sure?"

"Yes." Shippo nodded solemnly. "She's very old, and very powerful. She reeks of fox magic. I'm surprised Inuyasha couldn't smell it."

"Smelled human to me." Inuyasha said in a low voice. His ears were swiveling slowly, taking in the various conversations going on.

"The villagers sure seem to hate fox demons. Why would one choose to live here?" Sango asked. "And why would the _kami_ allow it as the village protector?"

"I bet the _kami_ is more fox magic." Shippo said, subdued. "She's _really _powerful. No wonder there's fox magic all over the village. It's almost scary."

"Why do you say she's old, Shippo?" Miroku asked quietly.

"I thought everybody knew that." Shippo asked, surprised. "The longer a fox demon lives, the more tails it gets. Every tail adds to its power. The very oldest foxes have nine tails; they're all at _least_ a thousand years old. From the all the fox magic I smell around here she's gotta have at least five tails."

"Hey I've heard of that." Kagome said. "_Kyuubi_ _no kitsune_, the nine tailed fox. They're very powerful. If you wrong one of them they'll lay a curse on you that lasts a thousand years. But the nine tailed fox is supposed to be wise and benevolent toward humans." She paused as she remembered something else. "_And_ they sometimes fall in love with humans. _That_ explains what she's doing here. She fell in love with the innkeeper!"

"Trust Kagome to come up with a lame-brained explanation." Inuyasha snorted. "Who cares why she's here? She seems nice enough and she's gonna feed us. That's all I gotta know."

"That's our Inuyasha." Kagome laughed. "A full belly, a warm place to sleep and he's as happy as any puppy dog."

"What did you say?" Inuyasha bristled. "Listen, Kagome I told you I ain't a dog, so don't--"

"Ah, dinner!" Miroku interrupted with a large smile as the inn keeper's wife returned, accompanied by a girl around twelve who was probably her daughter. The two quickly laid out a feast before Inuyasha and his friends. Kagome almost blushed in embarrassment at the amount of food and the huge amount of attention paid to them.

The meal truly would have been memorable if fate had let them finish it in peace. Unfortunately that was not to be.

"Sumi, attack the fox demon! _Kill it_." A voice shouted from the door. There was a snarl and a huge black akita charged toward the table. The innkeeper's daughter screamed and fled as the dog leaping the low table and made a beeline toward her, ignoring Shippo completely.

_"_Tomoko!_ NOooooooooooooo!"_ The innkeeper's wife screamed, the scream morphing into a blood-curdling howl, only partially covered by Kirara's earth-shattering roar as she transformed from a kitten into a saber-toothed monster cat fully a meter and a half at the shoulder. She sprang over the table after the dog.

The dog spun, and dodging Kirara, sprang for the innkeeper's wife who had collapsed on the floor. It grabbed a mouthful of her kimono and bracing itself on massive paws shook its head like it was trying to kill a rat.

The dog's violent attack pulled the kimono clean off the innkeeper's wife, much to everyone's surprise, including the dog. But in place of a naked woman lying on the floor there was a large red fox with multiple tails. It sprang to its feet and snarled defiance at the dog which blinked uncertainly, the empty kimono still in its jaws.

Before the dog could recover Kirara pounced, swatting it with a massive paw. The huge dog yelped and tumbled across the floor, ending up at its master's feet. Whimpering, it stood up shakily, and then bolted out of the inn, yelping loudly.

By this time the room was in an uproar. Villagers scrambled away from both Kirara and the fox, pressing against the walls in panic. Inuyasha was on his feet with Tetsusaiga in his hands, facing the doorway. Miroku and Sango also faced the doorway, weapons at the ready.

Shippo and Kagome watched the fox instead.

"Nine!_" _Shippo gasped. "Kagome she's got _nine_ _tails!_" He hid behind Kagome's legs, trembling.

**_"Kenta! Itetsuku!"_ **The fox spoke and its voice was beautiful and terrible, the sound filling every square centimeter of space in the room. It pressed against the listener like velvet covered steel. Kenta, the owner of the dog, froze trembling in the doorway.

"**Kenta, you have stolen everything from me. My home. My husband. My _daughter!_ You have destroyed the only protection this village has ever had against marauding bandits, and the demons who would feed upon your friends and neighbors."**

The words fell in the silence like anvils. The pressure increased until the humans couldn't move. Even Inuyasha felt the weight. The fox's eyes began to glow red and its mouth opened. But the voice continued, even as an orange glow appeared from the fox's throat, creating a small ball of painfully bright light, which rapidly grew larger and brighter.

"**Because of _you_, Kenta, all is lost. I am lost, my family is lost. The village will perish. Because of _you_."**

**"I have guarded this village for over a hundred years, human. _I_ am the _kami_ that has kept the demons at bay. _I _am the one who built this inn, who carved the sutras. _My_ hands were the ones that fed you and _my_ hands were the ones that cared for you when you were sick, and I asked nothing of you in return--except to live here in peace."**

**"And now, Kenta all that was is no more. For your crime I lay this curse upon you. For a thousand years you will become what you fear, you will live to see everything you ever knew wither and die. You will live on, feared and hated as you feared and hated me. Your own dog will turn on you and hunt you down. By your own hand have you done this, by your own will have you brought down this curse."**

The ball of fire in the fox's mouth was impossible to look at now, so bright it threw shadows on the wall and lit the scene in hellish shades of orange flame.

Kagome felt like she was in a nightmare, her legs were lead weights, but she could see what was about to happen and she couldn't stand by and do nothing. Gathering her spiritual power, she forced her body to move against the pressure of that terrible, beautiful voice. She started to run.

"**By all the stars in the heavens and all the waters of the earth, I curse you, Kenta. _LET IT BE DONE!"_**

"_Look out!"_ Kagome screamed, reaching Kenta and knocking him out of the doorway just in time. The fireball, a roiling orb of brilliant orange flame, slammed into her back even as she started to dive out of the way.

"_Kagome!" _Inuyasha screamed, running forward toward the girl as she fell to hands and knees. Her back was a mass of roaring flames, which spread rapidly to engulf her completely. Inuyasha shouted her name again as she screamed in agony.

"**_No!_ Why did she do that? The curse was not meant for her!" **The fox collapsed, panting. The pressure vanished, but the doorway was blocked by Kagome, still engulfed in flames, and Inuyasha who was frantically beating at the flames with the upper half of his outfit. Miroku raced toward Kagome and Inuyasha, knowing there was nothing he could do.

The innkeeper and his daughter ran to the fox, kneeling by it. The trapped villagers looked on helplessly, too terrified to stay but with nowhere to run.

"**I'm so sorry I deceived you my husband. I love you so much, please forgive me.**" The voice was still beautiful but no longer carried that terrible crushing weight behind the words. The fox's breathing was harsh and ragged.

"Akane, Akane, please don't leave me!" The innkeeper pleaded. "Fox or human, I don't _care_. You are my wife no matter what shape you wear. You hear me? Don't you dare leave me! Not now and not _ever_. Come back to me!" He started to weep. His daughter hugged the fox tightly but didn't say anything, her tears leaving dark spots on her mother's fur.

In the doorway Kagome collapsed onto her side and her screaming stopped.

But the flames didn't go out.

"_Kagome!"_ Inuyasha shouted, unable to accept what was happening. He threw back his head and howled his rage and grief, the sound pouring out to fill the inn and the night beyond.


	3. 3 The Curse That Went Astray

Chapter 3 - The Curse That Went Astray

In a distant forest a priestess made her way slowly along the game trail. She had no particular destination in mind and was in no real hurry. Dressed in the traditional _miko_ clothing of wide legged red pants and a white kimono shirt the priestess had a bow and quiver slung over her back. She bore a striking resemblance to Kagome, but was older, in her late twenties.

Suddenly she stopped, her attention focused inward. Her eyes widened in shock.

"Foolish girl, what have you _done_?" The priestess murmured as she rapidly began the preparations to defend both of them through the mystical link that bound their souls. The priestess could feel the curse spewing through the link like a tsunami through a window. The power of the curse was beyond anything she'd ever experienced, beyond anything she would have believed possible.

She rapidly considered and discarded several defenses. There was no stopping the curse, no deflecting it, and no evading it. The only hope was to hide from it, deny it a foothold until one or both of them were strong enough to deal with it properly. If they could.

Settling cross-legged on the ground she closed her eyes and concentrated on defending both herself and her reincarnation against the raw fury blasting through the supernatural bond. Grimly she started chanting. Should she fail she knew the curse would take them both.

Back at the inn Inuyasha watched Kagome burning and let his rage burst free. Snarling he turned away from the funeral pyre that had been his companion and stalked toward the fox, intent on murder.

"You _killed_ her, damn you." Inuyasha snarled, sword raised overhead in both hands.

"**No. It was not a killing curse. And it was not meant for her. She stepped in front of Kenta after I loosed it. There was nothing I could do. I am sorry."**

"Sorry, you mangy fox? _Sorry?_" Incensed the half-demon snatched the fox out of the arms of her husband. Holding her by the scruff of the neck he shoved her toward the flames.

"You see _that?_ You see those flames, fox? You _killed her._ You took Kagome away from me and now you're going to _pay_."

"Inuyasha, wait! Look at Kagome!" Miroku shouted. "The flames aren't burning her!"

Inuyasha was about to snap the fox's neck but something in Miroku's tone penetrated the rage, long enough to stop him. He watched as the flames started to change color from orange to purple. Little by little the flames were dying down, sinking into the girl, who was now glowing like a firefly with a pale purple light.

"Is she still alive? Is she fighting off the curse?" Sango asked hopefully.

"**She cannot."** The beautiful voice was filled with sorrow. **"I am a nine-tailed fox. No human could possibly avert my curse. It would be like a candle flame plunged into the depths of the ocean. If I could save her I would, but I cannot. She will live, but be cursed for a thousand years. It was the fate intended for Kenta, not for her."**

"What did you _do, _fox?" Inuyasha growled. "What does the curse do?"

**"The curse has transformed her into a _kitsune_." **The fox said. **"For Kenta it would have been just. He would lose his home, his family, even his dog. He would suffer the fate he inflicted on me."**

"You turned Kagome into a fox demon?" Shippo asked in confusion. "What's so bad about that? I don't get it."

The fox blinked at Shippo, clearly astounded by his question. Inuyasha inhaled deeply, taking in Kagome's scent. She still smelled the same, but more importantly she smelled _alive_.

"Hah, the joke's on you, fox!" He announced with a grin, giddy with relief. "She's still human, her scent hasn't changed. I think your curse fizzled."

**"Let me down. I must see what has happened." **The fox said.

"You pull any tricks and I'll kill you." Inuyasha warned her. "I don't care how long it takes to hunt you down."

**"No tricks."** The kitsune agreed. Inuyasha set her down and the fox staggered toward Kagome, stumbling in weariness. She lay down near the girl and sniffed over Kagome's body.

**"The curse is there, but somehow it hasn't taken hold yet." **Akane said in a puzzled tone. **"She has managed to hide from it. And part of the curse is missing."**

"What do you mean?" Miroku asked, kneeling on Kagome's other side. "How could it be missing?"

**"I don't know. It's as though part of the curse has gone somewhere else. There is another odd thing as well. The curse is far more powerful than it should be. Something has amplified my power." **The fox paused. **"This girl is no ordinary human is she? She has great spiritual power of her own."**

The glow around Kagome faded, and the girl stirred, pushing up with her hands so she was on one hip, braced awkwardly.

"Ohhhhh, my _head_." She groaned squeezing her eyes shut. "I feel like I drank too much _sake_. What happened?"

"Are you all right?" Miroku asked in concern. "The curse hit you."

"Ouch. Yes, I think so." She sat up, cradling her head. "My head is absolutely pounding. Is everyone else all right?"

"Everyone's fine, even the dog didn't get too beat up." Miroku assured her. "But you gave us quite a scare."

"Sorry about that. But I couldn't let her curse that guy. Is he ok? Is _she_ ok? And can somebody give me some tea please?"

"**Kenta escaped, untouched. I am fine, if very tired, Kagome-_sama_. Tomo-_chan_, please bring our guest some tea. And bring me three _manju_** **cakes to regain my strength." **The fox answered.

"Yes, mama." Tomoko headed rapidly for the kitchen with a happy smile.

"You were pretty stupid, pushing that guy out of the way and getting yourself cursed, Kagome." Inuyasha said. "Don't do that again."

"Sorry, Inuyasha. Could you speak a little more quietly please?" Kagome winced, keeping her eyes shut and rubbing her temples. "Ohh--my head feels like it wants to fall off."

**"I am sorry, Kagome-_sama_. It was not my intention to curse you. My target was Kenta."**

"Don't worry about it. Look, I know you're upset, but surely things will work out? You've been protecting the village for a hundred years, right? That proves you're a good person and not out to hurt anybody. Why can't you just keep on living here the way you have?"

**"I doubt it could be so simple, Kagome-_sama_. The villagers hate and fear all demons, and fox demons especially. Before I came things were very dangerous. A fox demon had betrayed their village to a band of spider demons. There were many deaths."**

"But _you_ didn't betray them, right? You _protected_ them. Big difference."

"Your tea, honored guest." Tomoko bowed, holding out a steaming cup. Kagome squinted at her in the dimness as night fell, taking the tea gratefully.

"It's so_ bright_. Why is it so bright at night?" Kagome groaned. "Thank you Tomoko." She inhaled the scent of the tea. "Oh, that's better." Sipping the tea made some of the tension drain out of her.

"Your _manju,_ mama." Tomoko set a bowl of three white balls next to the fox, each one five centimeters across.

**"Thank you, Tomo-_chan_. Pardon me, Kagome_-sama_, I must eat to regain my strength."** The fox greedily snatched a cake from the bowl and started chewing it.

"Don't mind me. I'll just sit here and enjoy my wonderful tea." Kagome answered tiredly, her eyes closed.

The fox finished her _manju_ in under a minute. The innkeeper moved around the room, lighting lanterns to give a cheerful atmosphere to the surreal scene. The villagers were gathered around the walls as far from the door as they could get. Little whispers of conversation were slipping back and forth furtively. Kirara had reverted to kitten form and returned to their dinner table, where she was joined by Shippo and Sango. Inuyasha had sheathed his sword and settled next to the doorway to be near Kagome. Miroku was seated further from the door, facing the fox.

The scene was in stark contrast to the chaos of the attack. One of the villagers, a rich man from his clothing, timidly approached the fox, who was sitting up, obviously somewhat recovered.

"Akane-_sama_, _kami-ue_, _moushiwake arimasen deshita_." He said, bowing almost at a right angle. He held the bow for a full ten seconds before kneeling. Kagome had never heard that particular construction used outside a historical drama before. It was basically the apology a peasant gave their liege-lord for royally screwing up. And _kami-ue _was ancient, even in this era, 500 years before Kagome's birth. The man was basically addressing the fox as one would a deity. And doing so with vast formality on top of that.

If her head hadn't been pounding so fiercely and her eyes so sensitive to the light she'd have turned to watch. As it was she kept her eyes closed and huddled gratefully over her tea.

**"You ask forgiveness?" **The fox inquired, tilting her head to one side. **"For what offense--_exactly_?"**

The man winced. "_Kami-ue_, for insulting fox demons at every turn, and thus insulting _you_. It is clear to us now the fox demon who betrayed our village was evil and you are not. As our _kami_ you have kept us safe for a hundred years. We ask your forgiveness for thinking all fox demons were like our betrayer. We ask you to stay, as our _kami_--and as our Akane-_sama_, wife of Kei-_san_. As it was before, so let it be again. You need not lose your husband, your daughter, your home. I, headman of this village, implore you to stay."

**"If Kagome-_sama_ can forgive me for a curse lasting a thousand years then I am honor-bound to forgive you, who acted from ignorance and fear. I will stay, both as _kami_ and as Akane, wife of Kei-_sama_. I never wanted anything else."**

"Thank you, _kami-ue_." The headman bowed low from his kneel, putting his hands palm-down on the floor.

**"But what is to be done about Kenta?" **The fox continued. **"What say you, Kagome-_sama_?"**

"You should forgive him too. And the dog." Kagome said as firmly as her headache would allow. "This whole thing was just a tragic misunderstanding."

**"Kagome-_sama_ you are very wise for one so young. I would not be so forgiving, but as it is not my place to gainsay you, I will do as you wish. Kenta and his dog Sumi have nothing to fear from me and I will treat them as I would any other villager--save for one thing. Sumi hates foxes and is a danger to my daughter therefore I forbid him from setting foot in our inn for as long as he may live."**

"Sounds perfectly fair to me." Kagome said, relieved.

**"Then it is time the _kami_ became simple Akane once more. Tomo_-chan_, would you gather my kimono?"**

"Yes, mama." The young girl picked up the kimono as she followed the fox out of the room.

"Inuyasha could you please carry me back to our table?" Kagome asked in a low voice. "The light still hurts my eyes."

"Are you ok?" Inuyasha asked in concern as he carried her back. She nodded.

"I'll be fine. I just need some aspirin out of my backpack. Once I take a couple I'm sure the headache and the sensitivity will go away. Miroku knows which bottle it is."

Once she had swallowed the aspirin and had more tea the headache receded into the background. The innkeeper's wife returned and their interrupted dinner got back under way. After a half-hour the headache was completely gone and she dared open her eyes. After blinking several times she found the sensitivity had also gone.

"Thank goodness!" She exclaimed, turning to Sango. "I thought that headache was settling in to stay!"

Sango paused, chopsticks halfway to her mouth, staring at Kagome.

"Sango, what is it?" Kagome asked, concerned.

"Your eyes, Kagome!"

"What about my eyes?" She asked with a sinking heart.

"They're the same color as Inuyasha's." Sango said. "They're gold!"

"Oh that can't be good." She started frantically digging through her backpack and produced a small mirror.

"Oh my." She said finally. "I guess I didn't escape completely unscathed after all." She chuckled. "Oh well, I can say my eyes changed color because of one of those diseases my grandfather constantly makes up to cover for my absences from school."

"Let me see!" Inuyasha demanded. Kagome turned to look at the hanyou.

"Well, what do you think?" She asked after an uncomfortably long stare from the half-demon.

"It's an improvement." He announced. "Brown eyes are boring. This color's much better."

"Thanks." She said dryly. "But why would my eyes turn gold?"

"Well, the curse was supposed to turn you into a fox demon." Inuyasha said. "Guess you weren't fast enough to stop all of it."

"_What?_" Kagome gasped. "A fox demon? You mean like Shippo?"

"That's what the nine-tailed fox said, Kagome." Shippo said, climbing into her lap. "I think you're prettier with gold eyes. Course you could have gotten green, like mine. Are your ears pointed now?"

"Pointed?" She asked in a slightly panicky voice. She felt her ear. It _did _feel more pointed, but she was pretty sure the tip wasn't as pronounced as Shippo's.

"Sango, can you see if it's pointed?" She asked, pulling her hair back and leaning over so Sango could see.

"Maybe a little." Sango said doubtfully. "I never really noticed your ears before. You always keep your hair over them."

"If I might?" Miroku asked politely. Sango gave him a cool look but shifted so he could see.

"Yes, still very pretty, and still human shaped, but more pointed than before."

"How would you know, monk?" Sango asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I am very observant my dear Sango." He answered calmly, leaning back.

"Well Kagome's just as pretty now as she was before. Prettier even." Shippo said loyally.

"Thanks, Shippo." She replied, shifting his small foot paws to more comfortable places. "You're starting to get heavier, aren't you?"

"I am?" Shippo broke into a smile. "Guess I'm growing up, huh?"

"Right. Another century and you'll be twice as big a pain in the neck." Inuyasha said, reaching for the last rice ball.

"Kagome!" Shippo complained.

"Inuyasha's just teasing you, Shippo. Ignore him." She looked around the room. All the villagers had fled the inn as quickly as politeness allowed. Some even more quickly. The room was empty except for Tomoko, standing near their table.

"I guess I need to ask the innkeeper's wife about the curse. Did anyone see where she went?"

"Mama went to make sure your bath was ready, Kagome_-sama_." The innkeeper's daughter bowed.

"Oh, a _bath_." Kagome sighed. "Heaven! Lead the way please, Tomoko."

"Wait for me, Kagome." Sango stood up.

"This way, honored guests." Tomoko led the two women away toward the back of the inn.

"I didn't want to say anything in front of Kagome, Inuyasha." Miroku spoke quietly. "But have you considered that she might not have stopped the curse? That she only slowed it down?"

"What are you saying, Miroku?" Inuyasha asked, clearly worried. "Kagome's pretty strong when it comes to curses and stuff. She threw off Tsubaki's curse, remember?"

"Yes but Tsubaki was human, not a nine-tailed fox." Miroku responded. "This curse is far stronger than Tsubaki's, even when she was using the power of the Shikon jewel."

"The fox said something about the curse having more power than it should have." Inuyasha commented. "You think the shard Kagome was carrying did that?"

"It wouldn't surprise me." Miroku said. "Remember Naraku has almost reassembled the entire Shikon Jewel. It's been tainted by his evil. When Kagome's shard was hit with such a powerful curse I'm willing bet the tainted jewel increased the curse's power. Like calling to like."

"Damn. That jewel's more trouble than it's worth." Inuyasha muttered. "Now we can't even trust _our _shard. That stinks!"

"The curse may end up turning her into a fox demon after all." Miroku said, shaking his head.

Inuyasha looked thoughtful. "Would it be so bad if it did?" He asked the monk.

"I suppose only Kagome can answer that question." Miroku said, staring shrewdly at Inuyasha.

"I mean, humans are so weak, and you guys don't live very long. If Kagome become a demon…" Inuyasha trailed off, staring at nothing.

"What's up with Inuyasha?" Shippo whispered to Miroku.

"He's thinking about the future, Shippo." Miroku whispered back. Shippo gave him a puzzled look. Miroku just smiled and settled into a more comfortable position. The lantern light flickered ever so slightly, making the shadows dance in the corners of the room.

Meanwhile, in the back of the inn Kagome and Sango were getting undressed to bathe.

"Tell me I'm not growing a tail." Kagome said, trying unsuccessfully to peer down her own back. Sango glanced at her.

"No, no tail." The demon hunter told her with a smile.

"That's a relief!" Kagome said with a sigh as she settled on a stool to soap herself. "Not knowing if I'm going to grow fur is a little disconcerting!"

"I can imagine. Do you want me to wash your back?" Sango asked.

"That would be lovely, thank you. I feel like somebody's beaten me with a board." Kagome said as she passed the soap to Sango. The other woman started soaping Kagome's back.

"Your back is _really_ tense." She commented. Kagome grunted contentedly as Sango's strong hands started kneading her knotted muscles.

"Yeah, it's been a long day." Kagome said, and then chuckled. "I imagine as a demon slayer you've had your share of long days."

"Oh yes." Sango laughed. "Some days more than others, of course. There, all done." She stepped back, dipping a bucket into the water barrel and giving it to Kagome, who slowly poured it over her head to rinse off the soap.

"Your turn." Kagome said, setting down the bucket. She changed places with Sango.

"You know, I've been thinking. If I turn into a fox demon will I get all arrogant and power-crazy?" Kagome asked worriedly.

"I don't think so, Kagome." Sango replied while washing herself. "Fox demons tend to be friendly and mischievous. But they can be vengeful. I bet we haven't heard the whole story behind the attack on this village. In cases like this you generally don't."

She handed Kagome the soap. "Besides, you're too kind hearted to become a monster. Demons like Naraku started off evil. Not all demons are. Look at Shippo, or Kirara, or even Inuyasha."

"What about Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked washing Sango's back. "Inuyasha's brother is pretty fierce, and he doesn't like humans at all."

"True, but he blamed Inuyasha's human mother for getting his father killed." Sango said. "From what Inuyasha said she wasn't responsible, but grief doesn't think very clearly."

"Wow, Sango, all these scars. I'll bet they hurt when they happened." Kagome said, running a finger down one particularly large ragged scar."

"That one was when Kohaku tried to kill me." Sango said quietly. Kagome froze, mortified.

"Oh Sango, I'm so _stupid_. I'm sorry I--" Kagome stuttered.

Sango shook her head. "Naraku was controlling him when he did it. It wasn't my brother's fault. He didn't know what he was doing. I know that." She smiled at Kagome over her shoulder. "Finished?" Wordlessly the teenager nodded. "Fill the bucket for me then?"

"Okay." She did so, wordlessly handing it to Sango who poured it over her head. Now clean, the two eased themselves into the large deep tub of water so hot it was almost unbearable.

"Oh, I have _missed _this!" Kagome said, settling back with a sigh of bliss. "Hey Sango, if the innkeeper's wife is a fox demon and Shippo is too, how come she can look like a fox with nine tails or a normal human and Shippo always looks like a fox-satyr?"

"A what?" Sango asked, puzzled.

"You know, sort of a fox from the waist down and a little boy from the waist up?"

"It's because he's a shape shifter." Sango said. "And he hasn't fully mastered his form. Fox demons like Shippo take a long time to master their bodies. Would you believe Shippo's 70 years old?"

"You're kidding!" Kagome stared at the demon slayer. "He looks six or seven!"

"Inuyasha's over 200." Sango said, smiling. "Of course he's more like 150, not counting the 50 years he was sealed to the Sacred Tree."

"Wow." Kagome blinked. "I mean I knew he was over 50 years old, but he didn't age while he was sealed to the tree. I thought he was my age."

"He does act like it, doesn't he?" Sango asked, smiling.

"That's the truth!" Kagome agreed laughing.

"Demons age very slowly as children, and then when they reach adulthood they pretty much stop aging at all." Sango continued. "You didn't know this?"

"Well, I kind of did." Kagome said. "I mean, look at Totosai. He must be absolutely _ancient_."

"I've heard he's over a thousand years old." Sango said. "But then again, I also heard he's looked the way he does now his whole life."

"Can you imagine being an old man your whole life?" Kagome shook her head. "So if I do become a fox demon I'll never get old? I guess _that's_ one bright spot, right?"

"Are you sure, Kagome?" Sango asked. "It means you'd outlive your brother--and all your friends And their children and their children's _grand_children. You'd stay young while everyone else would get old and die."

"Hadn't thought of that." Kagome admitted. "There aren't any demons in my time. At least I've never heard of any. I wonder what happened to them? Hey, if there aren't any demons in my time wouldn't that mean I _don't_ become a demon?"

Sango hesitated, and then decided to be honest. "It could mean lots of things. You could have died, or decided to go into hiding, or not stand out for the next 500 years. Or you might go back to your time using the Bone Eater's well."

"Oh my. That really brings it home. My era and yours seem so close because I can go through the well. But they're 500 years apart. That's a _long _time, isn't it?"

Sango was interrupted by the innkeeper's wife calling out.

"May I enter, honored guests?"

"Yes, please do." Sango called out. Akane and her daughter entered the bath carrying towels. Bowing, the two placed the towels on a shelf and started to withdraw.

"Um, excuse me?" Kagome said hesitantly. "Can I ask you some questions?"

The innkeeper's wife turned in surprise. "Of course, Kagome-_sama_. I would be happy to answer them."

"Well, the um, well you know, the curse. I'm not sure how it's supposed to work. I mean, my eyes changed color and I think my ears maybe got a little more pointed. Will there be other things too?"

"Had the curse struck Kenta he would have transformed instantly into a fox demon, in the shape of a fox, not the half-shape of Shippo_-chan_." Akane replied. "Why this did not happen to you I do not understand. I sense you have strong spiritual powers, Kagome-_sama_. But even these should not have kept you from transforming. I cannot tell you how sorry I am my curse struck you by mistake."

"No, please, it was my own fault for being so clumsy." Kagome said quickly. "So what you're saying is for whatever reason your curse isn't affecting me the way it should? Do you know if the curse is done? Or did it just get slowed down?"

Akane hesitated. "While you were unconscious I examined the curse. Part of it is missing."

"Missing? I don't understand." Kagome said, taken aback.

"It is as though part of the curse went somewhere else." Akane explained. "Why this should be I do not know. Now that the curse has been divided I cannot predict how it will act. You may escape further transformation because the curse is incomplete. Somehow you have managed to hide from it."

"Hide from it? Is that even possible?" Kagome asked, confused. She exchanged looks with Sango.

"I would not have thought so." Akane said, shaking her head. "But apparently it is."

"Shippo said you were a nine-tailed fox, and that means you're very powerful and wise." Kagome said. "If _you_ don't understand what happened we must _really _be in unknown territory."

"It is true I have lived a very long time." Akane nodded. "And in that time I hope I have gathered some wisdom. But I have never heard of a curse going awry as mine has. I have also never heard of anyone who so selflessly threw themselves into the path of a curse intended for another. Perhaps since the curse wasn't intended for you it became confused."

"You said part of the curse is missing. Do you think it's still hunting Kenta?"

"Who can say?" Akane said, shrugging. "Kagome-_sama_, this curse may still overcome you. If it does I promise I will help you however I can. Please consider me your aunt from this day forward." She bowed, deeply. Kagome's jaw dropped.

"Th-thank you. I am most honored." Kagome stammered, overcoming her shock. Akane's statement was _literal_; Kagome was now part of Akane's family. _How am I going to explain it to Mom? _She thought to herself. _Hi Mom, did you know we have a fox-demon in the family? Yeah, she's your sister. Sister-in-law? How does that work? Oh dear._

"I will leave you to your bath, _mei-sama_." The inn-keeper's wife bowed.

"Thank you Akane-_hakubo_. I'm sorry to be such trouble."

"Not at all." The inn-keeper's wife answered with a smile. She left as Kagome started to contemplate this newest development.

"Amazing. First she curses you then makes you her niece." Sango said. "I've never heard of a human being adopted by a _kyuubi no kitsune _before. It's a great honor."

"I know." Kagome said morosely. "I'm just trying to think how I'm going to tell my family. Mom will probably take it in stride and Sota should be OK with it, but my grandfather is going to freak."

"Your grandfather is a shrine-keeper isn't he?" Sango asked. Kagome nodded. "He has met Inuyasha, right?"

"Yes, but having a fox-demon for a daughter--daughter in law? is going to be a shock." Kagome said, stretching. "Oh, this bath feels so good, but if I don't get out soon I'm going to look like a prune." She giggled. "A _furry _prune?"

She got out and started drying herself.

"Kagome, if you do become a fox-demon, will you go back to your time? Or stay here?" Sango asked as she watched Kagome get dressed.

"I hadn't really thought about it." Kagome said, pausing. "I guess it really depends on what happens with Naraku and the Shikon jewel."

"If you did become a fox-demon, you would live a very long time--just like Inuyasha." Sango teased the teenager.

"Sango! What a thing to say!" Kagome said, blushing. "Besides, aren't dogs and foxes supposed to be natural enemies?"

"Demons _are_ influenced by their lineage, but it doesn't control them Kagome." Sango said. "Look at Kirara and Inuyasha. Cat and dog. And he likes Shippo too."

"That's true." Kagome said thoughtfully. "How long do demons live, anyway?"

"Nobody knows for sure." Sango said. "Some are over a thousand years old, I once heard about a demon tree that was supposed to be four thousand years old."

"Wow. Recorded human history is only like ten thousand years old." Kagome said. "It's kind of scary, thinking you might live that long."

"I suppose." Sango got out and dried herself. "I wonder what the inn-keeper's wife meant by part of the curse being missing?"

"Yeah, that has me worried. What if it's out looking for _me_?" Kagome shivered. "Akane-_hakubo_ said I was hiding from the curse. If that missing part finds me I'll become a fox-demon for sure."

"Well, let's hope it stays wherever it went." Sango said firmly as she finished dressing.

"You said it!" Kagome agreed fervently. The two women left the bath, looking forward to sleep.

Meanwhile, in a forest glade far from the inn, the priestess who had helped Kagome defend herself from the curse was standing quietly.

_It has been a very long day_. The priestess thought to herself. She sighed and looked ruefully at the results of the curse she hadn't been able to hide from completely.

A tail. A _fox's_ tail. She was forced to admit it was actually quite beautiful.

If only it hadn't been attached to _her_. She tried waving it and it obediently moved back and forth. The sensation was--surprisingly natural. Without thinking she wrapped it around her legs--then paused in surprise. She closed her eyes and sighed again.

To make matters worse her feet were definitely narrower than they had been, and the bottom of each foot bore the hint of pads, like a fox's paws. She was sure her toes were smaller as well.

"Kagome, I must remember to thank you _properly_ the next time we meet." She said aloud. Her red _hakama_ pants were now impossible to wear. Even the very wide legged garment could not hold her tail with any comfort. Fortunately she also had an undivided _hakama, _the broad full-length skirt allowed her tail to be both comfortable and hidden.

Carefully folding the divided _hakama _she packed them away then gathered her belongings. With another sigh Kikiyo set out in the darkness, thinking unkind thoughts about the foolish young girl who was, unfortunately, Kikiyo's own reincarnation.

Time travelers can be so _inconsiderate _to others…


	4. 4 The Curse Fulfilled By Good Intentions

Chapter 4 - The Curse Fulfilled By Good Intentions

In the morning the innkeeper and his wife gave them a lavish breakfast of steamed rice, grilled fish, and miso soup, rolled omelets, pickles, and _natto_. The food was delicious, but Kagome left her share of the _natto _for the others, never having cared for the fermented soybean dish.

They also pressed a basket of food on the travelers, which later proved to contain the makings of several kinds of rice bowls which lasted them through supper as well.

"The inn-keeper and his wife were very kind." Miroku said as they prepared to camp for the night.

"Yeah, especially the way that fox cursed Kagome." Inuyasha said snidely.

"She didn't mean to, Inuyasha." Kagome said quickly. "And please be more respectful toward my aunt."

"Feh. She's a _fox_ Kagome. The only reason she adopted you was 'cause she felt guilty." Inuyasha retorted.

"That doesn't change anything." Kagome said. "She's still family. Too bad she'll never meet my Mom. I think Mom would like her."

"Why won't she?" Inuyasha asked, surprised.

"Huh? But she's 500 years in the--" Kagome stopped when she saw Inuyasha's smirk.

"So? If she's lived this long I'll bet she'll still be around in your time. Foxes don't fight, especially females, they hide and trick their enemies. So she'll probably live forever."

"Wow. Does that mean you'll still be around too?" Kagome asked, and then blushed furiously.

"Dunno. I ain't like a fox, I fight. Somebody might get lucky some day."

"Inuyasha's right. I'll still be around too." Shippo stuck his tongue out at Inuyasha. "Some of us are smart enough to know fighting's dangerous."

"You'll have five or six tails by then, Shippo." Kagome said, smiling. "Probably be a real heart-breaker too."

"Aww, _Kagome_." Shippo said, embarrassed.

Kagome ruffled his hair, then stiffened, turning to look over the advancing twilight.

"There's a jewel shard over there." She said, trying to sense how far. "It's coming this way."

"'Bout _time_." Inuyasha said eagerly. "Let's go get it!" He sprang to his feet , sniffing the breeze.

"Wait a minute, what _is _that?" He wrinkled his nose and cocked his head.

"Trouble, Inuyasha?" Miroku was standing now.

"Dunno. Never smelled anything like this. Some kind of monster I think. Doesn't smell like an animal, smells more like--stone dust?" He finished, perplexed.

"What do you mean, Inuyasha?" Sango asked, confused.

"You know--the dust you get when you carve a slab of rock." Inuyasha said, peering into the distance. "Are those _saimyoushou_?"

"Too far away to tell." Miroku said, shading his eyes. "Your eyes are better that mine, Inuyasha. If you can't tell I certainly can't."

"Something funny about the way they're moving." Inuyasha said. "Looks more like a swarm of gnats than Naraku's pets. _Saimyoushou_ always fly straight. These things are swirling in a big ball. But they're definitely headed this way."

"So is a jewel shard." Kagome said with certainty. She strung her bow and nocked an arrow. Inuyasha glanced at her and grinned, unsheathing Tetsusaiga.

"Kirara, get ready." Sango said, picking up her six foot boomerang and detaching the carry strap. The kitten obediently transformed into the huge monster cat. Sango wasted no time getting on her back. The saber-toothed cat sprang straight upward and soared into the sky, stopping to hover some thirty feet off the ground. Shippo prudently took cover, waiting an opportunity to be helpful that didn't involve risking life and limb. Miroku frowned as he moved next to Inuyasha. The monk trusted Kagome's instincts and her unusually agressive response worried him.

She _never_ strung her bow until after their opponents attacked. Outwardly calm, inwardly the monk was trying to guess what kind of threat could make Kagome act so out of character. Grimly he waited.

They didn't have long to wait, less than a minute later the swarm came into their campsite and stopped.

"What is _that?_" Inuyasha said, letting the tip of his sword sag to the ground.

"A bunch of black--glyphs?" Kagome offered uncertainly. "With eyes?"

Now that the swarm was close everyone could see them quite clearly. They looked like nothing so much as symbols flying through the air, each one nearly two-thirds of a meter across. Each creature had a single eye in the middle of their black bodies. As they flew in random circles around the middle point of the swarm they also spun around their own eye. The effect was dizzying.

"There, Inuyasha! The shard is floating in the middle of the swarm." Kagome said. "And it's _tainted!_" Without hesitating she drew her bow and loosed the arrow. Halfway to the target the arrow burst into a brilliant purple glow which struck the tiny shard dead center.

"Got it!" She exclaimed. The angry red glow of the shard instantly flared into a brilliant glare of scarlet and purple, then winked out. The shard now gave off the faintest purple glow.

"Kagome's sacred arrow purified the shard!" Miroku exclaimed.

The effect on the swarm was dramatic. They stopped moving completely, not even spinning around their own eyes. They kept floating, but drifted apart slowly, like a cloud of smoke dissipating. Each creature now looked in a random direction as they drifted.

Miroku got the distinct impression the swarm was reeling in shock. The now purified shard quietly dropped to the ground, gleaming in the grass like a purple firefly.

"That was too easy." Inuyasha said suspiciously. "No way do we get a shard that easy."

"Don't tempt fate, Inuyasha." Kagome warned him as she drew another arrow and nocked it.

Suddenly the swarm started moving again, only this time the movement wasn't a stately swirl. Instead the entire swarm formed into a ribbon and streaked toward Kagome. Before anyone could react the ribbon-swarm was circling around her at waist height, making a circle about two meters in diameter. The swarm was moving _fast_, so fast in fact the individual creatures were blurring.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted, moving to the attack.

"_Inuyasha!_" Kagome screamed as she was suddenly yanked upward, soaring above the hovering Kirara. The ribbon reformed into a ball with Kagome in the middle. But unlike the slow random swirl around the shard, this dance was neither random nor slow. Complex patterns formed, with two distinct layers in the swarm, moving in opposite directions, an intricate dance of flashing symbols that never quite collided with one another in their elaborate aerial ballet.

No one had the presence of mind to appreciate the beautiful pattern the swarm was tracing, being too concerned with Kagome's abduction by the bizarre creatures.

Overcome by rage Shippo burst from hiding and raised both arms in a dramatic pose.

"_Fox fire!_" He screamed. Streams of ghostly fire blasted from his hands to engulf the swarm.

Which promptly vanished--along with Kagome.

"Kagome?" Shippo asked, blinking stupidly at where the girl had been floating. "Where'd she go?"

"Shippo what did you _do?_" Inuyasha reached the fox demon in a single leap, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and yanking him up to dangle in mid-air, nose to nose with the angry half demon.

"It was just fox fire, Inuyasha, I swear! An illusion! It can't hurt anybody. I wanted to scare those things away from Kagome!" Shippo babbled. Inuyasha snarled and threw the fox demon across the campsite--hard. The little demon's form changed in an explosion of smoke, so it was a giant rubber balloon that slammed into the tree trunk and not the fragile young Shippo. The balloon bounced harmlessly off the tree.

Another burst of smoke and Shippo hit the ground, laying there trembling in terror. Inuyasha was never reasonable when Kagome was in trouble, and Shippo knew that Inuyasha's control could very well snap over losing Kagome--_twice_ in as many days. And this time she wasn't here to bring him to his senses.

"Inuyasha! Hurting Shippo won't bring Kagome back." Miroku said. "Those things took her with them. We have to find her quickly!"

Inuyasha spun to face Miroku and for a moment the monk thought the hanyou was going to attack him. With a visible effort Inuyasha wrestled the wild anger back into its box. Shuddering once he nodded.

"Sorry, Shippo." He said. "Miroku's right. We've got to find Kagome. Nothing else matters."

"Not even this?" Sango asked, holding up the jewel shard the swarm had dropped as she rejoined the group.

"No." Inuyasha said. "We find Kagome first. I am not going to lose her to a bunch of stupid flying kanji. Besides, we need her to find the rest of the shards."

"Is that the only reason, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked mildly. Inuyasha stared at him for a moment.

"Come on. We've got to find her." Inuyasha said gruffly.


	5. 5 The Tale Of Ninetales!

Chapter 5 - The Tale Of Ninetales!

Kagome watched Shippo burst from hiding and raise his arms. For a moment she felt relieved that someone was going to help--but then she remembered Shippo's powers, while impressive by human standards, were weak sauce to the average demon. And given her luck, these things were unlikely to be _average_, now were they?

"_Fox Fire!" _He screamed, and she watched the illusionary fire engulf the swarm.

And then the world went insane. A wave of terror engulfed her, panic like she'd never felt before, not even during the worse demon attack she'd endured in the feudal era. She had to _run. _She had to get away_, _to go _home_.

Shippo, Inuyasha, the campsite, it all vanished. In the blink of an eye she found herself floating, still surrounded by the swarm, in some bizarre dream world. The terror faded slowly, replaced by a huge relief.

It wasn't _her _she realized suddenly. It was the swarm, which continued its frantic spinning dance around her. Now that she had time, she could see there was purpose in the movement, deliberate patterns. She couldn't understand the patterns, but she knew they were there and she knew, without knowing how she knew, that they had meaning.

Looking beyond the swarm she saw darkness in all directions, above and below as well. Here and there were faint swirls of dark glowing color, like pale-lit clouds at night, only in all the colors of a somber rainbow. In this place the black creatures that made up the swarm were invisible, the only thing she could see were the eyes, like donuts of light. They were moving so fast the individual eyes blurred into bands of white light.

The swarm was beautiful and hypnotic. It belonged in this place. She couldn't imagine how she'd ever thought the black glyphs should be anywhere else. This was their home, their refuge. It just felt _right_ that they should be here. She didn't sense evil or malice in the swarm. It had had no intentions toward her, other than curiosity. And--gratitude? How did she know all that?

"I don't understand. What do you want?" She asked, unable to stay silent even though she doubted the swarm could understand her.

She was the one that didn't belong here, and she desperately wanted to home. As if sensing her thoughts the swarm tightened around her, until the innermost layer of the swarm was just centimeters above her head and below her feet. She could have reached up and touched one, but she could feel the wind of their passage and hear the sound as their bodies passed through the air.

It would have been like sticking her hand into spinning fan blades. She hoped they didn't get much closer. She curled into as small a ball as she could, but the swarm contracted around her until they were whirling past her face.

She shut her eyes tight and wished with all her might she could go home.

That's when the pain began.

It wasn't _quite_ as bad as the fire of Akane_-hakubo_'s curse had been but it still made her groan and convulse helplessly. It felt like parts of her were being pulled out and put back in different places. At the same time the rest of her was being squeezed and kneaded like a lump of clay. Some parts were squashed small and others pulled long and thin.

It went on for a very long time and sometime during the ordeal she blacked out. When she regained consciousness she found herself in a forest glade.

Without moving Kagaome could see tall pine trees surrounded a sunny meadow. Rolling one eye she saw she was next to a tree trunk, curled into a fetal position in the tree's shadow. Every single muscle in her body was stiff and sore as she discovered when she tried to straighten out. She gritted her teeth from the pain. It felt like her body was one gigantic charley horse.

At least she didn't have a headache this time…

Moving carefully she finally managed to straighten out, working out the knots in her muscles until she could push away from the ground with her hands. She tried to sit up, and eventually succeeded, after a fashion.

Something very odd was happening. She was sitting all right, but her legs were folded in a funny position and she felt like there was rather more bottom to sit on than she was used to. Looking down she screamed--or tried to.

It came out as a startled yelp. She stared at her arms in horror.

They were covered in white fur and ended in _paws_. Her hands--paws--were holding part of her weight and when she lifted them to examine her palms they didn't move in the manner she expected. She promptly fell forward on her forearms, uttering another yelp.

_Yelp? What am I doing? Oh no, the curse! It must have found me! _Kagome thought, starting to panic. _Ok, wait, don't panic. Inuyasha and the others will be out looking for me. All I have to do is stay here and they'll find--a fox. Oh dear._

She tried to stand up but her balance was all wrong. She managed for a few moments but then had to drop to all fours.

_Right. Four feet. I can't stand up because I have four feet, not two. I'm a fox now. Or I'm in fox shape. But I'm still me, Kagome Higurashi and no matter what I look like I'm still a human being. Or a fox demon. That part I'm not sure about any more. But whatever I am I'm still me!_

Kagome took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, to slow her frantically racing thoughts. She was in trouble but it wasn't the first time she'd been in trouble. She had been kidnapped, and she was separated from the others. But that wasn't new either, she'd been kidnapped before, she'd been separted from the other before.

True, this was the first time she'd woken up in a different _body_, but the principle was the same. Don't panic, keep calm and _deal with it._ Panicking wasn't going to help her find Inuyasha or the others, nor would it help her regain human shape.

_One thing at a time, Kagome._ She told herself sternly.

Feeling slightly better she rose to her (four) feet and took a couple of experimental steps. She found if she ignored her body and let it get on with things she could move naturally. It was only when she tried to concentrate on her body that she tended to fall over. The stiffness and soreness were fading, the more she moved the easier it became.

_Ok, let the body do its thing, Kagome. The curse obviously gave me fox reflexes as well as the fox shape. I'd be in real trouble if it hadn't!_

_Well, more trouble than I'm already in, I mean._

Kagome practiced walking back and forth under the tree for a few minutes. It was sort of like ice skating. Let the body do the work, let the body move the way it wanted, don't try to think through each movement.

Confident of the walk she tried a trot, and found she could manage it. Then she tried a run.

The results were astounding. She streaked across the meadow, a good hundred meters in five seconds! And she hadn't even been trying to run as fast as she could!

_Maybe being a fox demon won't be _all_ bad. _She thought. _I might be able to keep up with Inuyasha. Or even Koga if I ran as fast as I could. _

Feeling a growing confidence she decided to find out how fast she really could run. She gathered herself and sprinted back across the meadow.

Only to nearly kill herself by smacking into a tree trunk an eye blink later. She dodged at the last second, her feet literally pushing her off the trunk. She skidded to a stop, shaken.

_What in the world??? I've never heard _any_ demon that could run that fast! What is going on? _She tried looking around to see her own body--and got another shock.

She expected to see red fur and a single tail. Instead she saw snow-white fur and _many_ tails, each tipped with pale lavender fur instead of a fox's white. She found if she was careful she could make each tail stand apart, like the spread fingers of a hand. It was a distinctly odd sensation.

She started counting but she knew the total already. She counted anyway, because, well, that's what you _did_ in situations like this…

Nine.

She was a nine-tailed fox. A white one. Akane-_hakubo_ had nine tails, but she was over a thousand years old. On top of which her fur was _red_, not white. And each of her tails was a normal fox tail ending with a white tip.

_I need a mirror_. Kagome thought. _Yeah, right. Where am I going to find a mirror in feudal Japan? Especially looking like this?_

_Wait a minute! Duh. Water. I can use the reflection in a stream. Now where can I find a stream? _Unconsciously she sniffed, her body seeking the smell of water. Which it then brought to her conscious attention.

_Wow, now _that's_ handy_. She thought, setting off at a trot. The stream she came to was running too fast to give a reflection, so she turned downstream, knowing sooner or later the stream would hit a level place and form a pool. She moved effortlessly, her paws finding the footing far less treacherous than her human feet would have.

Sure enough, after less than ten minutes she came to a pool. With some hesitation she peered at her reflection. And stared, unsure what the curse had transformed her into. She didn't look like a normal fox, even ignoring her pure white fur.

For one thing she had a large crest of hair on the top of her head that reached back over her neck. She also had a mane over her shoulders, although it didn't stick out like a lion's did, it was much sleeker. Her eyes were definitely _not_ those of a fox, they were purple.

Very purple. In fact, nothing _but _purple. They didn't really look like eyes, just two almond shaped wells of purple where her eyes should be. She could see just fine, so she assumed the weird eyes were normal for--well, whatever she was.

_Kind of fox-like, but not a fox. _Kagome thought to herself. _I mean I can see this body was based on a fox. And I've got nine tails. But the color's wrong, and what's with the lavender tail tips? Not to mention the eyes. I'm not a kitsune, and I'm not a normal fox, so what the heck am I?_

She studied her reflection, turning her body this way and that. She was built for speed--that much was clear. Her body was slender without being bony, the loin tucked up like a greyhound's. Where the tails joined her back there was a bulging area to handle all the extra bones and muscles. She wasn't a whiz in biology but she was willing to bet the nine independent tails involved some seriously complicated joints.

_No wonder nine tailed foxes don't like having their tails pulled! _She thought. _Bet it's easy to get a really _nasty_ sprain. Gives a whole new meaning to "multiple fracture". _She winced as she pictured just how bad it could get.

_Well, at least I'm cute. _She thought. _I could have ended up as ugly as Sesshomaru's retainer, Jaken._ She tried to picture herself as a two foot tall, green-skinned, annoying toad of a demon.

_Yuck!_ She shuddered and banished the image. If she had to be cursed at all this was definitely better than the alternatives. She got some nifty powers as well as cute looks. _Not to mention eternal youth…_

Akane-_hakubo_ had told her she didn't know what the curse would do. _Looks like she was right. With part of the curse missing who knows what it actually did?_

Faint sounds made Kagome grow still, her ears swiveling to catch them over the trickle of the brook. Voices. Human voices!

She didn't know if she wanted to meet them or not. Whoever it was might dislike--well whatever she was now. She remembered the dog that had attacked Tomoko. She wanted _no_ part of that!

She darted behind a tree and waited for the people to approach the pool. When they did she got another shock. They were kids; the oldest boy looked about Kagome's age. There was a girl around twelve and another boy around ten or so. The youngest boy had a rather large plump yellow animal on his shoulder. Kagome hadn't the faintest idea what it was--she'd never seen anything like it.

But it wasn't the animal that gave her the shock; she'd seen plenty of weird demons (Jaken came to mind). It was their _clothing_. They wore modern day clothes. The boys had on jeans, shirts, and vests. The girl wore a pair of denim shorts, a yellow crop top, and suspenders. Her hair was a brilliant orange red, although to be honest none of them looked Japanese. The youngest boy had on a baseball cap, although she didn't recognize the team logo on the front. All three were wearing gym shoes and carrying backpacks.

_I must be in the modern era, but it looks like I'm not in Japan._ She thought._ Wonder where I am? Maybe America? I wish my English was better! What should I do?_

"Hey Brock!" The younger boy called out. "This looks like a good place for lunch."

"It sure does." The older boy agreed, swinging the pack off his back.

The girl followed suit, and sprawled in the grass. "I'm tired!" She announced to the world. "How much further is it to Dark City, Brock?"

"Several more days, Misty." He replied, digging cooking utensils out of his pack. "Ash, can you fill this with water? I want to make some soup for lunch."

"Sure thing, Brock." The younger boy answered cheerfully, dropping his pack. He filled the pot from the pool. As he did so the yellow creature hopped from his shoulder into the grass and stretched.

_I can understand them! _Kagome thought in relief. _But that's not English _or _Japanese. How can I understand them? This is weird._

The sight of the cooking gear made Kagome's stomach growl, and she realized how hungry she was. _Oh great. And I don't even know what this body eats. _She vaguely remembered that foxes were omnivorous, which was encouraging. If whatever she was now ate like a fox then she could eat human food. She had no intention of trying to catch things to eat--she liked _sashimi_ well enough but the idea of killing a rabbit and eating it raw turned her stomach.

Soon the smell of chicken soup came wafting to her nose. And her new body definitely had a powerful nose, the smell was maddening. She could feel herself drooling. She spent a few minutes more eavesdropping, trying to gauge how they'd react to her, if they'd run or attack her. The yellow thing must be a pet, so that meant they were used to unusual animals here.

She watched Brock put some rice in the soup and her hunger proved stronger than her anxiety. _I guess I can't tease Inuyasha about his table manners anymore. _She thought with a chuckle. _If my new nose is anything like his I'm surprised nobody's lost a finger yet!_

Rising from her prone position she walked out from behind the tree. She was only about five meters from them when they noticed her. The yellow animal spotted her first.

"Hello!" It said in a surprised voice. "Who are you?" That attracted the attention of the kids.

"Ash! It's a _ninetales._" Brock said in a quiet but excited voice.

"Oh my gosh!" Misty exclaimed. "A real ninetales! It's beautiful."

"Wow, a ninetales!" Ash brought out what looked like a camera and pointed it at her. Willing to let him take her picture in the name of soup to come, she sat down and assumed a solemn expression. She jumped when the camera started _talking_.

"Ninetales, the evolved form of Vulpix. This pokémon is very intelligent and can understand human speech. Each of its nine tails is said to be imbued with supernatural powers and it can live for a thousand years. Grabbing one of its many tails could result in being cursed for as long as you live."

"Ninetales are very vengeful if injured or insulted. It can cast a sinister light from its bright red eyes to gain total control over its foe's mind. Legend has it the first ninetales was born when nine wizards possessing sacred powers were reincarnated into a single being."

"Ninetales have pale golden fur, stand approximately 110 centimeters at the shoulder and weigh 20 kilograms."

_I've shrunk_. Kagome thought to herself. _I'm a little under half the weight I used to be. But at least I know what I am now. A ninetales. Not a nine-tails. _She smiled and felt her tails wave lazily. _Guess that's how foxes smile._

"Hi, I'm Pikachu." The yellow creature said. Now that it was just a few feet away she could see it clearly. It was _cute_, there was no other word, and a little over a third of a meter high when it sat up on its hind legs (which it was doing). The creature was solid yellow with black tipped long ears and cute red patches on its cheeks that made it look like it was blushing. Its eyes were solid black buttons, and its expression was puppy-dog friendly.

Its tail, though, looked like it had been broken in several places and allowed to heal without properly setting the bones. It was shaped like a cartoon lightning bolt. The end was flattened too. She hated to think what had happened to the poor thing to make its tail look like that.

"I'm Kagome Higurashi. Pleased to meet you." She said without thinking, and then mentally kicked herself. She was a fox, and foxes couldn't talk. All she'd managed so far were yelps and barks.

"That sounds like a human name." Pikachu said curiously.

"Wait, you can _understand _me?" Kagome said, feeling a flood of relief. "Thank goodness, I thought I couldn't talk anymore!"

"Of course I can understand you." Pikachu said, smiling, which was endearingly cute. "Pokémon can always understand one another. It's _humans_ that can't understand us." It tilted its head. "Why did you think you couldn't talk anymore?"

"Because I was cursed." Kagome said, and then winced. _Way to go, motor mouth. How do you know you can trust this yellow rat-thing?_

"I thought Ninetales did the cursing." Pikachu asked, confused. "Did another Ninetales curse you? Why?"

"Well, it's complicated." Kagome said uncomfortably. "It was an accident really." She stopped, realizing she may have said too much.

"Pikachu's making friends." Ash said happily. "Hey Pikachu, think this Ninetales wants to battle?"

"Now wait a minute!" Kagome sprang up. "I don't want to fight anybody!"

"Why not?" Pikachu asked, tilting its head the other way.

"What do you mean, _why not_? People _die_ in battle!"

Pikachu looked shocked. "What do you mean? Nobody dies in a pokémon battle. The battle ends when the loser faints."

"Huh? I don't know what kind of battles you're used to." Kagome said, mystified. "But all the battles I've been in, well, humans _died_. Demons too. I've lost count of the demons I've slain. It's not a game, Pikachu. It's vicious, and scary and not any fun. I only fight to protect myself and my friends."

Pikachu was backing away, a horrified look on its face. "You killed your opponents? You _killed _them?"

"If I hadn't they'd have torn me limb from limb and devoured me." Kagome said, feeling somehow that the conversation had gotten away from her. "Demons don't share human values, Pikachu. They kill whatever they want and eat it, or just torture things for fun. Well, most demons do. Not all."

"No, no, no, no, no!" Pikachu was shaking its head violently. "No! Pokémon don't do that! They would _never_ do that!"

"What's a pokémon?" Kagome asked.

Pikachu looked at her like she'd lost her mind. "What do you mean, what's a pokémon? _You're_ a pokémon! _I'm _a pokémon! Did the curse addle your brain?"

"Maybe." She said, shaking her head. "I've only been this way for a day, Pikachu. Last night I was a human girl."

Walking forward, Pikachu patted her on the shoulder. "I guess the curse really confused you. People can't turn into pokémon, Ninetales."

"Look, I know I'm a ninetales _now_, but I wasn't born this way."

"Hey Brock, didn't the pokédex say ninetales have red eyes?" Misty asked. "And golden fur? This ninetales' eyes are purple. And it's white."

"Yeah, I was looking at that." Brock said. "I've never heard of a white Ninetales. I'd say it was an albino but it can't be. It has purple tail tips and eyes."

"Wonder if that means it's special?" Ash asked excitedly. "Boy it sure would be great if I could capture it!"

"Say _what_?" Kagome's head snapped up and her eyes narrowed. She stared at Ash and felt herself getting angry. "Kid, you better change your tune _right now_." She growled (literally), forgetting humans couldn't understand her speech.

Ash drew back, startled.

"I think you made it mad, Ash." Brock said. "You might want to apologize."

"Why should I?" Ash protested. "That's what pokémon trainers do! I'm _supposed _to catch wild pokémon!"

"I don't know Ash." Misty said uncertainly, eyeing Kagome warily. "Maybe it belongs to somebody already. It doesn't act wild. It came right up to us."

"_Belongs to somebody?_" Kagome sputtered. She was beyond caring they couldn't understand her. "I don't _belong_ to anybody! You hear me _little girl_?"

"Misty, you just made it madder." Brock said, edging away. "The pokédex said ninetales can be very vengeful."

"Calm down, Ninetales." Pikachu pleaded. "You know they don't mean it like that."

Kagome glared at Pikachu, who rapidly shuffled back several steps. "My name is _Kagome_, Pikachu. _Ka-go-may, _not Ninetales. And I'm not deaf. I heard every word they said. Do _you_ belong to them, Pikachu? Do they _own_ you?"

"Ash is my trainer." Pikachu replied, obviously not understanding why she was so angry. "That's all they meant. You know that."

"_No_, Pikachu. I do not know that. This isn't my world. I am a fifteen year-old human girl that was kidnapped by some weird floating eyes who spent last night taking me apart and putting me back together. _Painfully_. When I woke up this morning I was a pokémon, and here, wherever _here _is. Do you understand? And now some ten year-old wants to enslave me to be his own personal gladiator? I don't think so! Humph."

"Ok then." Pikachu said, backing away another step. "Well if you feel that way about it I certainly won't try to battle you. I'll just be going now…"

"And don't act like I'm crazy." Kagome fumed. "I am tired and I'm hungry and nothing makes sense but I'm not crazy. Wait, then again I _am_ yelling at a big yellow rat. Now _that's _crazy!"

"I'm a mouse, actually." Pikachu said reproachfully. Kagome stared at him, the absurd incongruity made her giggle. Pikachu looked hurt and that struck her as hysterically funny. She started to laugh.

"A mouse. Oh my, a mouse--over a third of a meter long! _And_ it talks!" Kagome chortled. "What's next? A ten kilo goldfish?"

"Are you talking about magikarp?" Pikachu asked, obviously trying to be polite. She stopped laughing.

"Am I?" Kagome asked hopelessly. "I haven't a clue. I've never heard of a magikarp. You mean there really _are_ ten kilogram goldfish here?"

"Hey Ninetales! I challenge you to a pokémon battle!" Ash said, standing up. "Pikachu, get ready!"

Pikachu spun on his heel much more quickly than Kagome would have given him credit for, facing the three kids. He started shaking his head violently.

"No, she doesn't want to battle! It would be a very bad idea! She doesn't understand pokémon battles! She _kills_ her opponents! She's _crazy! _Don't do this!" Pikachu babbled, waving its short stubby forelegs frantically.

"What's a matter Pikachu?" Ash asked in perplexity. "Don't you want to battle Ninetales? It'd make a great addition to the team!"

Kagome snarled, making Pikachu spin back to face her.

"Look, I won't battle you, ok? Please, just calm down!"

"He called me an _it_." Kagome said in outrage. "I _heard_ him. So did the girl, before."

"So?" Pikachu asked his brow furrowed in puzzlement. "Humans have a hard time telling if a pokémon is male or female. _It _just means they don't know if they should say _he_ or _she_."

Kagome paused, confused. "Calling someone _it_ is a very bad insult where I come from." She said.

"Well it isn't an insult _here_." Pikachu said. "Ash and Misty didn't mean to insult you. I promise." It held up a paw like it was taking an oath. It was so darned cute, Kagome just couldn't stay angry. It was like watching a talking teddy bear.

"Well this battling nonsense stops _now_." She swept past Pikachu and confronted Ash, who looked decidedly uneasy.

"Better apologize, Ash." Brock warned him.

"Ninetales, I'm sorry if I offended you. I don't know what I said to make you mad, but I promise I didn't mean to." Ash said, looking like he meant it.

"I'm sorry too, Ninetales." Misty said. "I think you're beautiful and I'd never want to insult you."

Kagome was a teenage girl, which meant she was quick-tempered, but she was also _Japanese_, and nothing mollified a Japanese person faster than a heart-felt apology. She nodded to them both and sat down, glad to have the confrontation end.

"Looks like it accepts your apology guys." Brock said, relieved.

"I'm a _girl_, not an it!" She snapped without thinking. Brock looked uneasy and she realized he thought he'd offended her.

"They can't understand you." Pikachu said. "You know that. All they hear are the syllables of our names. _Pika-pi-chu-ka-pi. _Like that."

She looked at the mouse.

"So Brock heard what, _nine-tales?_" Kagome asked him in frustration.

"Pretty much." He agreed. "Almost no pokémon ever learns to speak Human."

"There are some who _can_?" Kagome asked excitedly. "That would solve my problem! If I could just _explain_--" She paused as Pikachu shook his head.

"That curse really did a number on you." Pikachu said. "Meowth's the only pokémon I know that can speak Human. And he can't be trusted."

"What? But I need to talk to him! Where is he?"

"I don't know." Pikachu said firmly. "And I don't care. Meowth and Team Rocket are bad news. If I never see them again I'll be one happy mouse. They keep trying to steal me."

"Eh? You mean kidnap you?" Kagome asked, feeling her grasp of reality start to slip again. "Why?"

"Because I'm really powerful and they want to give me to their boss." Pikachu answered.

"You're _powerful_?" Kagome asked confused. "But you're so--cute!" She kicked herself mentally. _Cute? Kagome, you're an idiot!_ She thought to herself. _Now he's going to be offended._

Pikachu smiled again. "You think I'm cute?" He swelled up slightly.

_Oh great, he's not offended, he thinks I'm hitting on him! Yuck!_

"So what makes you powerful?" Kagome said hastily.

"My electric attacks. I win a lot of battles."

"Electric attacks?" Kagome asked, perplexed. "What do you mean?"

"Like this." Little sparks started to arc across the red spots on Pikachu's face. He screamed a _kiai_ and a ten foot bolt of lightning arched out from the mouse and struck a nearby rock. Kagome jumped backward three times her own body length in surprise.

"That's my electric attack. It's pretty strong." Pikachu said calmly.

"Wow." She'd _definitely _underestimated Pikachu. Cute or not, he was deadly!

"Why'd you do that, Pikachu?" Ash demanded in alarm.

"Just showing Kagome my Thunder Shock. It's ok, we aren't going to battle." He spoke soothingly to his trainer. Taking her cue from him Kagome came forward again and sat down, radiating calmness.

"It's not what you say, because humans can't understand you. It's how you say it. They're very good at recognizing tone." Pikachu said, turning back to her.

"Um, Pikachu I _am_ a human. Or at least I was before today." Kagome said. "It's almost like you're talking about a pet, so it's kind of weird."

"Some humans think we're pets." Pikachu said with a chuckle. "My trainer really is a good trainer though. He's helped me get a lot stronger than I was. So we're really more like partners."

"I'm confused. The way they talk I thought you were his slave." Kagome said.

Pikachu looked shocked. "No! I chose to stay with Ash. You know I'm beginning to think you really are a human that's been cursed. You don't act like a pokémon and you don't know anything. You know less than a _hatchling_."

"Hatchling? You mean pokémon come from _eggs_?" She exclaimed. Pikachu looked at her in pity.

"You mean you didn't even know _that_?" He asked. "You look old enough to breed, has nobody explained how it all works?"

Kagome growled. "I took biology in school, thank you very much. I know how reproduction works; it's just in my world only reptiles and birds hatch from eggs. Mammals bear live young."

Pikachu looked interested. "You know, I've heard that humans do that. Personally, I think the pokémon way is better."

Kagome thought about it. "It's certainly easier on the mother." She said diplomatically. Her stomach growled again.

"Look, I don't want to be rude, but it's been a long day. I don't suppose you have any food you'd be willing to share? That soup smells delicious."

"Oh, I'm sorry! How thoughtless of me." Pikachu apologized. He went over to Ash and tugged on his pants leg. The three humans had been patiently watching Kagome and Pikachu talk, waiting for them to finish.

"What is it Pikachu?" Ash said, squatting down.

"Kagome's hungry." Pikachu said, waving his paw at the soup and then at Kagome.

"Hey Ash, I bet Ninetales is hungry." Brock said, his face lighting up.

_What gave you the clue, Sherlock? _Kagome thought, amazed at how dense Brock and the others seemed.

"Are you hungry, Ninetales?" Misty asked. Kagome nodded, and then looked pointedly at the soup.

_It's not polite_. She thought, wincing. _But at least I get to eat. Not being able to talk to them is really getting old. If it weren't for Pikachu I don't know what I'd have done._

"I've got some pokémon food here." Brock said, pulling something that looked like kibble out of his backpack. Kagome felt her ears droop in disappointment. She'd really been looking forward to that soup.

Brock saw her reaction. "Hey, it's really tasty, if I do say so myself! Please try some."

He poured a little in a bowl and put the bowl down on a napkin, then backed away and gestured for her to try it. Not wanting to be rude Kagome approached the bowl and sniffed cautiously. It actually smelled quite appetizing. She felt herself start to drool. She was _really_ hungry.

"Brock makes really great pokémon food!" Pikachu said. "Not only does it taste good it's good for you too. Helps make you strong."

"What's it made from?" Kagome asked, sniffing again. "Smells like there are berries."

"Berries, tofu, some nuts, you never know." Pikachu said, rubbing his belly happily. "Brock changes it every time he makes some. His pokéblock's really tasty too!"

Kagome cautiously took a bite. Pikachu was right, it was delicious. She finished the sample and looked up.

"Would you like some more, Ninetales?" Brock asked, smiling. She nodded and stepped back courteously. He looked at her with a calculating expression and filled the bowl. She realized he was measuring the correct portion. That made her feel more than a little strange.

_Like a pet_. She thought nervously. Still, food was food and this particular meal was pretty darn tasty. She settled down and started eating. She ate as fast as she could without offending her host.

"My, you _were_ hungry weren't you?" Pikachu commented. "When was your last meal?"

Kagome paused, and would have blushed if she didn't have fur.

"I'm sorry, Pikachu. I'm probably eating your lunch, aren't I?" She asked with bowed head. "I'm terribly sorry! Please forgive me."

"No, no!" He reassured her. "We'll eat later in the day. Brock always has lots of pokémon food so you don't have to worry about the rest of us. He buys the ingredients in town and makes a fresh batch every three or four days. That's one of the reasons it's so good."

"The rest of us?" She asked curiously. "I thought the kids were going to eat the soup?"

"No, I meant the rest of the pokémon." Pikachu explained.

"What pokémon?" She took another quick bite and looked around curiously.

"The rest are in their pokéballs." Pikachu said. "If you want to travel with us you can meet them tonight when we camp."

"What are pokéballs?" Kagome asked, completely lost.

"That's what humans use to carry their pokémon in." Pikachu said. "You don't know this?"

"No." Kagome was about halfway through her meal and the worst of her hunger pangs had subsided. This was fortunate because her meal was interrupted by an attack.

It was becoming a bad habit with her.

"Prepare for trouble!" A woman's voice called out.

"And make it double!" A man's voice answered her.

"To protect the world from devastation!" She replied.

"To unite all peoples within our nation!" He answered.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jesse!" A woman leaped out from behind a tree. Kagome stared at her, slack jawed, meal forgotten. The woman was wearing boots, what looked like opera gloves, a white mini skirt and a vest over a black top that left her midriff bare. There was a large R in red on her vest. She had red hair that reached below the hemline of her (extremely short) skirt.

"James!" A man leaped from behind a different tree to stand beside her. He was dressed more traditionally in what looked like a white uniform--boots, full-length pants, long sleeve vest over a black shirt and gloves about half the length of the woman's. Inexplicably he had bluish-purple hair.

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!" The woman declared, assuming a heroic pose.

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!" The man mirrored the pose of his partner.

"Meowth! Dat's right!" A humanoid cat with some kind of medal embedded in its forehead dropped from the tree to land in front of the two humans. His head reached mid-thigh on the human pair, at least before he crouched and scowled.

"You have got to be kidding me." Kagome said in disbelief. "Good grief!"

"Team Rocket!" Misty shouted. "What are you doing here?"

"We want Pikachu. And that rare white ninetales too!" Meowth spat.

"Oh yeah?" Ash yelled. "Well you can't have either one, Meowth!"

"Wait, _that's _Meowth? The one who can speak to humans?" Kagome asked in shock. "That lame puss-in-boots poser?"

"Lame." Pikachu chuckled. "I like that. Hey Meowth! You're _lame!_"

"Lame???" Meowth retorted hotly. "We'll see whose lame when we get youse two inside a cage, cheese-for-breath!"

"Why you--" Pikachu went to all fours and crouched, fat blue sparks crawling over the red patches on his cheeks. Having seen his lightning attack Kagome had no doubt he could handle the cat. But the two humans were another story. She began gathering her spiritual power, wondering if she had some kind of distance attack too. If not, well, it wouldn't be the first time she'd had to mix it up physically with her opponents.

_Still wish I had my bow. _She thought with regret.

"So Pikachu wants to battle? Looks like the pretty little ninetales does too." The woman said with a sneer. "Better give up before you muss that adorable crest of yours, Ninetales."

"Meowth, tell your _owner_ to back off before I have to kill her." Kagome snarled, feeling the power flaring inside her.

"What?" Meowth asked, incredulously. "You talk mighty big for a fluffy couch cover, Ninetales. Nobody snuffs it in a pokémon battle. You gotta have a better hand dan dat if you're gonna bluff Meowt'!"

The power had built to the point she couldn't contain it anymore. If she'd had her bow she'd have released the arrow. The power was trying to force its way out of her, it felt like she was burning up inside. Turning her head slightly away from the villains she opened her mouth and let the concentrated power burst free.

A purple point of light no bigger than a marble flashed past the trio and struck a tree some distance behind them. Meowth sneered.

"Dat all you got?" He started to laugh. "Dat's really _lame--"_ He was interrupted as the tree she'd struck came apart--with a _lot _of enthusiasm. Not to mention special effects normally found only in the better grade of apocalypse.

The shockwave threw everyone off their feet. It was a miracle the shrapnel (formally known as a maple tree) didn't strike anyone. No one heard the jagged wooden debris shriek past because the _boom_ had temporarily deafened them.

Kagome, used to the mind-numbing chaos of demon on demon battles, was already back on her feet. Team Rocket were still sprawled face first in the grass and apparently in no hurry to get up.

Pikachu staggered to his feet.

"What did you _do_?" He asked, staring at her in horror.

"Sacred arrow." She answered absently, ignoring the yellow pokémon as she concentrated on Team Rocket. _Good a name as any._ She thought. Even if it hadn't really been an arrow. And far more powerful than she should have been capable of…

"Misty, Ash, are you ok?" Brock asked urgently.

"Yeah, I'm ok. What happened?" Ash said groggily. Kagome listened by turning one ear backward, without taking her eyes off the three criminals in front of her.

"Ninetales attacked a tree instead of Team Rocket." Brock said, awed. "Misty, you ok?"

"Yeah, I think so. What kind of attack was that, Brock?"

"Never saw it before." Brock said. "Whatever it was it was unbelievably powerful. If Ninetales had aimed at Team Rocket instead of a tree…" His voice trailed off.

"They could have really gotten hurt!" Misty said, in dawning comprehension.

"Worse than hurt." Brock said grimly. "Way worse than _hurt_. I don't think they'd have survived it."

"That's why Pikachu didn't want to battle Ninetales!" Ash said as the aftermath of the blast penetrated his addled brain. He swallowed. "Pikachu was talking to Ninetales. It must have told him it couldn't battle, that it was way too powerful."

Kagome winced. That wasn't exactly the way it had been. She was surprised the kids hadn't run screaming yet. For the first time she wondered where their parents were. Of course _she_ wandered through a demon-haunted land that existed five hundred years before she was born, maybe they did something similar? Though ten years old seemed way too young for that sort of thing in her opinion.

"Hey, what do you think you're _doing_?" Jesse demanded in outrage, jumping to her feet. "Pokémon aren't supposed to attack humans!"

She glared at Kagome in indignation. Kagome let her lips peel back, revealing an impressive set of fangs. She growled, letting her body put all the menace it cared to into the sound. Jesse paled just a bit.

"Jesse, _look behind you_." Misty said in a voice that was tightly controlled.

"Eh?" She turned to look, and grew very still.

The blast had completely annihilated the tree it had struck--there was nothing left but a big crater in the dirt. Several other trees had come down from the force of the blast, either snapped off or uprooted entirely.

James was slowly moving his head back and forth, trying to shake off the effects of the explosion without shaking off any important bits of anatomy. Meowth was groaning. He had managed to turn onto his back before giving it up as a bad idea.

"Oww." He complained conversationally.

"Ninetales did _that_?" Jesse asked shakily, pointing at the crater. Misty nodded. "With just one attack?" Misty nodded again. "I see." Jesse fainted, collapsing bonelessly on top of James.

"Hey!" He complained, shoving her off. He sat with knees drawn up, cradling his head and muttering under his breath.

"Listen, you! Meowth, right? Can you hear me?" Kagome demanded. The cat looked at her from its supine position. Her lip was still curled, exposing her fangs. It didn't seem to interfere with her speech. Apparently Pokémon wasn't actually a language that used the vocal cords.

"Yeah?" He asked cautiously.

"That was a warning shot." She said. "The next time _I won't miss_. Do I have your attention?"

"Oh yeah." Meowth swallowed. He looked at his team mates for moral support. James was ignoring the whole thing, muttering under his breath and staring at his feet. Jesse was unconscious. It looked like he was on his own. Again.

"Good. I need a translator and you are going to very kindly volunteer." Kagome said with fangs still bared.

"No problem!" Meowth assured her. "You wants I should talk to the twerps for youse?"

"I would like that very, very much, Meowth." She let her lip slide down to cover her fangs. "See? Life is so much nicer when people treat each other kindly, don't you think?"

"Absolutely!" Meowth agreed fervently. He'd just caught sight of the crater.

"Good. Now _march,_ cat. Get over here." Her tone was no kinder than her command.

Meowth marched.


	6. 6 Out of The Meowths of Pokémon!

Chapter 6 - Out of The Meowth-s of Pokémon!

Pikachu retreated back toward Ash and his friends as Meowth came over to their campsite. Kagome followed, taut nerves making her walk stiff-legged, like an aggressive dog. Meowth walked cautiously, being very careful not to make any sudden moves.

Kagome moved to a spot where she could see Jesse and James but still sit comfortably. She noted with dismay her bowl was overturned, spilling her lunch on the ground. The chicken soup had spilled too.

"Oh no! Meowth you owe us all lunch!" Kagome said crossly.

"What? Why? I ain't the one dat blew up da tree!" Meowth protested loudly.

"Oh yeah? If it hadn't been for you I wouldn't have had to blow up the tree!" She retorted.

"Hey, a Meowt's gotta do what a Meowt's gotta do." The cat said, obviously not willing to accept responsibility.

"Never mind. Translate what I say. And since I _can_ hear you, better get it right!"

"Ok, ok, no need to be so _touchy_." Meowth complained. "Hey twerps! Listen up. This here Ninetales wants I should translate what she says to youse guys."

"Meowth, you say one word about this to _anyone _else and I _will_ hunt you down. You do realize that, right?" Kagome said. He nodded, deflating.

"My name is Kagome Higurashi and until last night I was a human girl about Brock's age." Kagome said. Meowth stared at her.

"Translate." Kagome said. "I know it sounds crazy, but it's the truth." Dutifully Meowth repeated her, word for word. The reaction of the kids was priceless. Ash nearly fell over, his mouth hanging open. Misty's eyes grew wide and Brock was suddenly all attention. Kagome didn't know the warning signs the older boy was displaying. Misty was too stunned to notice and Ash wasn't paying attention.

She stood up and bowed, which didn't work very well in her new body. Using Meowth as her translator she started speaking.

"I'm so sorry to be such trouble, please forgive me for ruining lunch. My sacred arrow was much stronger than it normally is."

Meowth interrupted. "Sacred arrow, huh? Pretty strong attack!"

"Meowth, please. Just translate, all right?" Kagome sighed. He repeated what she had just said.

"I'm not from your world, I was cursed by a _kyuubi no kitsune _and then--"

"What's a _kai-oobi_ whatchamacallit?" Meowth interrupted again.

"Well, it kind of looks like a ninetales, but it's got red fur, no mane and no crest. And it's a shape changer."

"You mean like ditto?" Meowth's eyes widened.

"I don't know what a ditto is." Kagome said. "You want to translate please?"

"Okay, okay! Da Ninetales--" Meowth began. This time Kagome interrupted him.

"My name is _Kagome_, Meowth."

"Fine, _Kagome _says a ting dat looks kinda like a ninetales but ain't cursed her. She says dis kai-oobi tingie looks kinda like a ninetales, but its red and ain't got no mane or crest. She also says it's a shape-changer, like ditto, but she says she don't know what a ditto is." Meowth said in a rush. He took a deep breath and looked at her.

"Okay…anyway there was some kind of problem with the curse and it didn't work like it should have." Kagome continued. "All it did was change my eye color and made my ears a little more pointed. Akane-_hakubo _said--"

"What's a _a-can-ay-hack-tuba_?" Meowth asked plaintively. "Speak plain pokémon, wouldja?"

"Sorry. Guess some words don't translate." Kagome said in apology. "My aunt Akane told me part of her curse went missing--"

"Hang on a minute!" Meowth protested. "Your own aunt cursed ya? Whatja do?"

"Well, she wasn't my aunt at the time! And it was an accident. Listen, if you keep interrupting this is going to take _forever_." Kagome said impatiently.

"Ok, Ok, keep your fur on! Dis is soundin' crazier by da second." Meowth shook his head, but decided he didn't want to get on her bad side. Crazy _and _powerful was not somebody he wanted mad at him. Well _madder_.

"Okay, lemme see. Oh yeah." Meowth brightened up. "Ok, she got cursed by her aunt--who wasn't her aunt at da time?" Kagome nodded and he went on more confidently. "And her aunt told her the curse went funny and part of it ended up missin'."

"Right. All it did was change my eye color and made my ears a little more pointed."

"What color?" Meowth asked.

"Gold. Anyway the next morning Inuyasha and I set off with our friends to hunt--" She hesitated. "--something we'd lost." Meowth opened his mouth--

"I'm not going to tell you what it was Meowth. I could tell you but then I'd probably have to kill you." She smiled and Meowth's eyes widened.

"Sorry. Guess I shouldn't joke like that, huh?" Kagome apologized.

"Ya tink?" Meowth huffed. "Ok, she says all da curse done was turn her eyes gold and make her ears a little pointy. Da next day she was off wit' her friends lookin' for some tingie they lost." He watched her expectantly.

"That night we were setting up camp when a swarm of weird creatures came flying into camp with a--thing. The thing was tainted. I used a sacred arrow to purify it and--"

"Wait a second! You could use your Sacred Arrow attack as a _human_?" Meowth asked, clearly flabbergasted.

"It was a _real_ arrow, Meowth." Kagome clarified. "I used my spiritual power on the arrow to make it a sacred arrow. It purifies evil. And demons, of course. Anyway I shot the thing with my bow and the swarm attacked me."

"She says dey was settin' up camp dat night and a swarm o' weird creatures came flyin' towards 'em with a tingie. She shot da tingie with a bow and arrow. She says she made it a sacred arrow by usin' her spirit powers on da arrow. Then da swarm attacked her."

"The swarm surrounded me and jerked me up into the air, circling me like I was inside a ball or something. Shippo used fox fire to try and scare the swarm."

"What's fox fire? Is dat a kind o' attack?" Meowth asked. "I never hearda dat one."

"It's illusionary fire." Kagome explained.

"Gotcha. Ok, da swarm grabbed her and flew up in da air, putting her inside it like a ball. Den her friend Shippo used some kinda attack that makes fake fire so as to spring her." Meowth said. "I guess Shippo's a pokémon."

"No, Shippo's a fox demon." Kagome corrected him.

"A demon? I tought demons was from da bad place?" Meowth said, confused.

"What?" Kagome asked blankly. "No, demons are flesh and blood, just like people. They have powers though. Animals can be demons as well. A lot of demons are evil and destructive, but there are good demons too."

"Can pokémon be demons?" Meowth asked, fascinated.

Kagome shook her head. "My world doesn't have pokémon. When I saw Pikachu I thought he was an animal until he spoke."

Meowth grinned. "Dat's rich!"

"Watch it, cat." Pikachu growled.

"Yeah, yeah." He waved dismissively at the yellow pokémon. "Anyway, Kagome says Shippo's a fox demon. She says demons ain't from da bad place; dey're sorta like pokémon but most of 'em are evil, though some ain't. She also says her world don't got pokémon. Dey got demons instead."

"Her _world_?" Brock interrupted. "She's from another planet?"

Kagome shook her head. "I don't think so. Not like aliens and stuff. I think it's more like time travel--only sideways."

"Sideways?" Meowth said blankly. "What's dat mean?"

"Well, I use the Bone Eater's well to travel back and forth in time to the Feudal Era, five hundred years in the past. I think those creatures pulled me through time. Only instead of forward or back, I think they pulled me sideways. To a world where history came out differently."

"Dis is _crazy_ talk." Meowth complained. Kagome glared at him, making him cringe.

"Okay, I'm translatin'! She says she don't mean another planet like out in space. She tinks dose creatures pulled her sideways in time insteada to the future or past like she normally goes."

"You travel in _time_?" Misty said in astonishment. Kagome nodded. "That is so cool!"

"So how'd you end up a pokémon?" Ash asked curiously.

"When Shippo threw the fox fire the swarm panicked." Kagome said. "They went back home, dragging me along. Their world was very strange. It was dark, like space, but there weren't any stars, just dark colored clouds of light here and there. I remember floating in the middle of the swarm. I couldn't see their bodies any more, just the glow of their eyes. Spinning around me, making a noise like an electric fan."

"I remember wishing I could go home." She shivered. "That's when they must have started changing me into a pokémon. It hurt. A _lot_. I blacked out. When I woke up, I was here. That was this morning."

"She says da swarm took her somewheres, it kinda sounds like da bad place." Meowth said. Kagome shook her head.

"It wasn't Hell, Meowth. They weren't evil. Just curious. It was beautiful, in a weird sort of way."

"She says it weren't da bad place." Meowth corrected himself. "Said it was kinda beautiful, but weird. Den dey started changing her into a pokémon. She says it hurt so bad she blacked out. When she woke up she was here."

"That's some story." Brock said, sitting back. "What did the creatures look like?"

"Flying black symbols with eyes." Kagome said promptly. "All different shapes, but all of them had a single eye. They were about two thirds of a meter high."

"She says like letters with eyes. Dey was black." Meowth said. "She says dere was lots of different letters. Dey was about _dis_ big." Meowth held his paws about two-thirds of a meter apart.

"Could they have been pokémon?" Ash of the one-track mind, asked. "If Kagome wanted to go home how come the swarm sent her here?"

"I think they were afraid to go back to my world. Then I think they found the curse somehow." Kagome said. "The curse was supposed to turn me into a fox demon. If those things were pokémon a ninetales is as close to a _kitsune_ as they could get. As a pokémon I guess they thought this world _was_ my home."

"What's a _kit-sue-nay_?" Meowth asked plaintively.

"Fox demon." Kagome said.

"She says she tinks if those tings was pokémon dey found da curse and used it to make her a ninetales 'cause it's da closest ting to her curse dey could tink of." Meowth translated. "And she says once she was a ninetales da creatures sent her here 'cause dat's where pokémon live."

"Makes sense." Brock said, and then continued, his tone turning odd. "You said you're a human girl Kagome?" Kagome nodded, wondering why Misty was suddenly staring alertly at Brock. Kagome froze when Brock grabbed her front paws and lifted her upright.

"I swear we'll get you home fair maiden! I, Brock the valiant, won't sleep until you're wearing your proper body again! We'll see you get home, no matter--_oww!_"

"Pardon us." Misty said as she dragged the protesting Brock by his ear away from the campsite. Brock had to scrabble with hands and feet as he was dragged backward by the twelve year-old girl. Kagome blinked in astonishment.

Ash and Pikachu sighed in tandem.

"Does that happen a lot?" She asked Pikachu, who nodded.

"Every time Brock sees a pretty girl he goes crazy." Pikachu said. "First time I ever saw him do it with a pokémon though. He always recovers after a while." Pikachu chuckled.

"Hey! Team Rocket's _gone_." Ask commented. "They must've snuck off while we were talking. Good riddance!"

"What? Dey _left _me?" Meowth spun around and looked at the bare patch of grass that had held his team mates. He drooped visibly.

"Hey, can I go now?" Meowth asked. "I done what ya wanted. Fair's fair."

"No, you can't go! You were going to put us in a _cage_." Kagome said indignantly. "If you try to run away I'll track you down. And when I find you…"

"Yeah, yeah, I gets da picture." Meowth looked at the crater again and swallowed. "Do da twerps know youse crazy? You gonna hunt _dem_ down if dey run away?"

"They didn't try to kidnap me and put me in a cage, Meowth." Kagome said. "What did you plan to do with us once you'd caught us? Sell us to the highest bidder?"

"Naw, we was gonna give youse to da boss." Meowth said airily. "Cause wit' two rare and powerful pokémon like you, da boss would make me his top cat, 'stead of dat persian he's got now."

"We were supposed to be a _bribe?_" Kagome asked, outraged. Meowth backed away.

"You _asked_ me. Ain't my fault you don't like da answer!" He protested.

Kagome stared at him. "You know, Meowth, there's a kind of purity about you."

"Eh?" He stared, unsure of what she meant.

"You're a bad guy, you make no bones about it, and you aren't the slightest bit ashamed of what you do or why. It's almost admirable."

"Almost?" Meowth said uneasily.

Kagome nodded. "Almost. I'm one of the good guys, Meowth. I kill demons when they try to hurt people. Keep that in mind, all right?"

"Yes ma'am." Meowth said fervently. Pikachu looked unhappy.

"Pokémon haven't killed humans in thousands of years, Kagome. You should keep _that_ in mind. We never kill each other, either."

"I'm not a pokémon, Pikachu." Kagome said quietly. "I only kill demons who try to hurt innocents. If I'd wanted Team Rocket dead they'd be dead. I'm not a monster, honest."

"Coulda fooled _me_." Meowth muttered. "Crazy and powerful _and _ya kill tings. Dat sounds like a monster don't it?"

"First off, I'm not crazy. Second, I only kill to protect myself, my friends, or innocents from being killed and _eaten_. Or worse."

"Worse?" Pikachu asked in disbelief. "There's _worse_? Worse than dead? Worse than _eaten_?"

"Yeah." She nodded grimly. "Some demons and evil humans use the spirits of the dead to make golems. Or to reanimate corpses. Serving their captors for all eternity."

"Dat's worse." Meowth said faintly, looking sick.

Brock came back, rubbing the back of his head.

"I'm terribly sorry about that." He said, staring at his feet. "I get carried away sometimes. Please forgive me."

"Don't worry about it." She assured Brock.

"Yeah, you're all sweetness and light to da pervert." Meowth said sourly to Kagome. Turning to Brock he said. "She says not to worry about it, pervert."

"_Meowth!" _Kagome exclaimed in outrage.

"Well he _is_. I seen him. He goes after anything wearin' a skirt." Meowth said in an aggrieved tone. "If it's a pretty girl he chases her like a beedrill after flowers."

"He really does." Pikachu agreed, staring at Brock.

"Tell him I didn't call him a pervert, Meowth!"

"She says she didn't call you a pervert, pervert. Dat was me." Meowth said.

"Thank _you_, Meowth." Brock said sarcastically. He turned to Kagome. "But we really will try and help you get home."

"Yeah, Kagome. We all want to help." Misty said.

"Hey, Professor Oak knows just about all there is to know about pokémon!" Ash said excitedly. "Maybe he's heard about those flying letter pokémon. We should give him a call."

"Yeah, but Ash we're still days away from the nearest phone." Brock said.

"Oh yeah." Ash said, sagging. His stomach growled. "And I'm hungry. I guess the soup got spilled, huh?"

"That's ok. I have some sandwiches I was saving." Brock said cheerfully. "And Kagome there's more pokémon food if you're still hungry."

"No, that's ok, I couldn't." She said. "I was the cause of you losing your soup. Besides, I had enough, but thank you."

"Kagome says she ain't hungry--but I am! I ain't et in two days." Meowth announced. "Whoever said crime don't pay weren't kiddin'!"

"You insult me and now you want me to give you food?" Brock demanded incredulously. "Not until you apologize, Meowth."

The cat pokémon looked stubborn.

"There's always the rest of my lunch, there in the grass." Kagome said nastily. Meowth's eyes lit up and he literally pounced on the kibble, scooping it back up into Kagome's bowl. Before everyone's slightly horrified gaze he started shoveling the kibble into his mouth.

"Man, for a pervert you sure know how to make great pokémon chow!" He complimented Brock. The kibble was finished quickly. Meowth gave a huge belch and then patted his stomach.

"Dat was da real deal." Meowth said happily. "Any chance o' seconds? Dat crazy ninetales won't let me leave, so youse is stuck with me. If I gotta stay, you gotta feed me."

"I never said I was staying with Brock and his friends, Meowth." Kagome said.

"Yeah? And how _you_ plan to feed da two of us?" Meowth inquired nastily.

"Wild pokémon seem to manage." Kagome said calmly. "Now that I know I can talk to them we won't have any trouble."

"Hah! Shows how much you knows." Meowth sneered. "I been a pokémon my whole life and I can't forage in da wild. If I could, you tink I'd have missed eatin' two days straight?"

Pikachu nodded his agreement with Meowth's point. "Wild pokémon have their parents to teach them how to hunt and how to gather food, Kagome. City pokémon like us never learned. It'll be better if you stay with the group."

"Hey, wait a minute." Kagome blinked. "I just thought of something. If there are so many pokémon, what do they eat? The carnivorous ones, I mean? And where did that chicken soup come from?"

"Pokémon are omnivores, Kagome." Pikachu said. "They hunt animals, and gather nuts and fruit. Is it any different in your world?"

"No. Except we don't have pokémon. Demons tend to hunt anything that moves. Including people." Kagome said.

"No wonder youse so blood tirsty." Meowth commented. "Someting tried ta eat me _I'd_ try ta kill it."

"What are you talking about, Meowth?" Ash asked uneasily.

"Kagome says da demons in her world eat people. At least most of 'em do." Meowth explained. The three kids were taken aback.

"Oh my gosh!" Misty exclaimed, paling. "Kagome you mean these demons really _eat_ people?"

"Well, in the feudal era." Kagome said. "In my time there aren't any demons--at least out in the open. I think maybe there are a few still around, but they keep a low profile. It was much different in the past. There was a lot of war and demons took advantage of the situation. Most demons think people are just food anyway. They slaughtered whole villages."

"She says dat da demons are in da past, where she goes. In her own time dere ain't no demons out in da open like. But in da past dey ate people. Whole villages." Meowth said, shivering.

"And you fight the demons?" Misty said, still wide eyed.

Kagome nodded. "My friends and I are looking for--a thing. It was broken into hundreds of pieces and even one small piece can make a demon ten times more powerful. We're trying to recover the pieces."

"She says her and her friends is looking for pieces of a ting. Even one tiny piece can make a demon way more powerful. Dey's trying to get all da pieces back."

"Wow. That's scary." Ash said quietly. Misty and Brock nodded their agreement.

"Kagome, if you get back to your world, won't you still be a pokémon?" Brock asked. Kagome shrugged.

"One thing at a time, Brock." She said. "I need to get home. I'm the only one who can sense the--pieces."

"She says one ting at a time. Her friends need her 'cause she's da only one who can see da pieces." Meowth translated. "Glad I ain't you, sister!" He added earnestly.


	7. 7 Into The Unown!

Chapter 7 Into The Unown!

Now that there was a sense of urgency Brock broke out the sandwiches and the kids ate on the march. They planned to head for the nearest town, which Brock said was called Stone Town. If they hurried they could be there in two days. Meowth immediately started complaining about the pace, but Pikachu told him to shut up and march. Grumbling under his breath the cat obeyed, too frightened of Kagome to run off.

That night they made camp next to a stream, almost at full dark. That's when Kagome got a _big_ surprise.

"Hey guys, come on out!" Ash said. Kagome glanced at him curiously. He reached under his vest and pulled a small ball off his belt, about the size of a grape. He clicked the button on the front. The ball swelled to the size of an apple. Kagome stared, fascinated.

A second push and the ball burst open, spitting out a stream of bright red light. The light formed into a small blue-green creature that Kagome at first mistook for a turtle. But it had ears--at least she _thought _they were ears, and looked more like a walking plant than a tortoise.

Misty and Brock joined in and she lost count as lots of different pokémon materialized on the grass or in the stream. Soon she was surrounded by friendly chattering creatures including one gigantic snake that looked like it was made out of boulders.

"Hi!"

"Who are _you?_"

"Hey gorgeous!"

"I'm Horsea! What's your name?"

"Wait, wait!" She pleaded as the barrage of questions threatened to overwhelm her.

"Hang on guys, let her talk!" Pikachu shouted, trying to restore order.

"Youse heard Pikachu, now hush up!" Meowth demanded. That got instant silence as every pokémon turned in surprise to look at the cat. The silence was rapidly followed by a susurrus of hisses and growls as they recognized him. He swallowed.

"Wait! Please. Meowth's only here because I forced him to be." Kagome said. That gained her a sea of confused looks.

"Ok, let me start over. My name is Kagome Higurashi and I'm not really a pokémon. I'm a human that was cursed a few days ago. I've only been in your world since this morning. I needed Meowth's help because he can talk to humans."

The growling resumed, telling Kagome they still weren't thrilled to find Meowth sharing their camp.

"She needs Meowth--for now." Pikachu spoke loudly, twitching an ear. "So we have to tolerate him--for now. Maybe later--not so much." Pikachu gave Meowth a lazy smile. Meowth edged closer to Kagome as the growls subsided into a thoughtful silence…

"You look like a ninetales, but why are you white and purple?" A reddish brown six-tailed fox-like pokémon sat down near Kagome. "I'm Vulpix, by the way, in case you _haven't_ heard of me." Something in the way the pokémon spoke made Kagome think it was female.

"It's because of the curse." Kagome said again.

The pokémon half-closed her eyes and gave Kagome a languid look. "And how did you come to be cursed, dear? Were we naughty and pulled someone's tail, hmm?"

_Oh brother. Little miss Prissy Paws Princess. _Kagome thought to herself even as she smiled in the ninetales way, her tails waving gently.

"Not at all, Vulpix. My aunt was going to curse a villager so I knocked him out of the way. I was just a little too slow and the curse hit me instead."

"Wait, I thought you said you were a cursed human? Humans can't curse anything." Vulpix's tails twitched in a manner Kagome's new instincts told her was less than complimentary.

"I don't think you're a ninetales at all." Vulpix continued. "_Or_ a human. You can't even keep your stories straight! Maybe you're just a ditto who can't transform properly."

_Keep calm, Kagome._ She thought to herself as her tails stilled. _She's just a little spoiled brat who thinks she's better than everybody else_.

"Well it's a little more complicated than that." Kagome said, trying to stay polite. "She was a demon, not a pokémon, you see. The villager she was going to curse had just set a dog loose on my friend Shippo but it went after my aunt's daughter instead. Then it went after my aunt."

"What's a demon? How can a human have a--demon?--for an aunt? Your tale's getting taller and taller, _Ka-go-me_." Vulpix drawled.

"You oughtn't to make her mad, Vulpix." Meowth warned the pokémon. "She ain't right in da head. And she's _powerful._"

"Crazy? I _knew_ it." Vulpix said triumphantly. "You're lying! Admit it!"

"I am not lying." Kagome said, her temper starting to fray. "And I'm not crazy. It's not polite to insult people you just met, you know."

"Yeah!" Meowth said heatedly

"Oh look, the loser pokémon who would be _human_." Vulpix said, turning to taunt Meowth. "Couldn't make it as a pokémon, can't make it as a human, _worthless_ as a criminal. Why don't you run away, Meowth? That's all you're good at!"

"I can't." Meowth said miserably. "She won't let me."

Vulpix's tails shook. Kagome realized she was laughing at Meowth, who looked miserable.

"There's no need to laugh at him, Vulpix! That isn't nice." Kagome objected sharply.

"This useless waste of fur tried to steal _me_, not to mention the rest of us! Several times!" Vulpix sneered. "Him and his human pals. Where'd they go, Meowth? Did they finally realize how hopeless you were and dump you?"

"Watch it, fur ball." Meowth growled. "I maybe gotta take it from _her_, but you got no right!"

"You challenging me to battle, _hair_ ball?" Vulpix bristled. "I heard you traded all your attacks to be able to talk like a human."

"Oh yeah?" Meowth stood up and his claws unsheathed. Kagome grimaced. Those claws were a good five centimeters long. She'd hate to have to face them herself, even as a human. She kept forgetting just how formidable these pokémon were. They looked all cute and harmless--until they did something that shattered the illusion.

"We're all on the same side here." Kagome said, trying to pour oil on the waters. Vulpix rolled her eyes, even as she crouched.

"No we aren't, _Ka-go-me_." Vulpix nearly purred with malice. "You and Meowth are trying to con the rest of us--only I won't be fooled by your tricks."

"Funny, you know that's what somebody said just before Kenta went to fetch his dog." Kagome said in exasperation. "What will the two of you prove, scrapping like mindless _animals_? That one of you can beat up the other? Big deal!"

Kagome huffed--and then realized the entire group was staring at her, appalled. Pikachu put his paw on his face and slowly shook his bowed head.

"What do you mean _big deal?_ A small humanoid turtle with a long curled up tail demanded. "Of course it's a big deal!" No one else spoke though, they were too shocked.

"Like I said." Meowth said in the silence. "I gotta take it from her. You got brain one inside dat good-looking skull, you walk away right now. Else she might kill us bot'."

"Kill us?" Vulpix gaped at the cat.

"Yeah." Meowth said wearily, sitting abruptly. "Why you tink I ain't run away? It ain't 'cause I loves youse guys."

"You really think she'd _kill _us?" Vulpix's tails shook again. Meowth ignored her. In fact he pointedly turned his back on her. Kagome could see his face. His eyes were closed and his prominent whiskers were drooping.

"You pathetic cat." Vulpix mocked. "Are you really that naïve? She's _lying_ Meowth. I can't believe she conned you too!"

"I saw her attack today, Vulpix." Pikachu said quietly. "She called it _sacred arrow_. She shot a tree as a warning. That tree's _not_ _there_ anymore, Vulpix. The same attack knocked down a half dozen other trees too. Meowth's got good reason to be afraid of her."

"Look, I don't want to hurt anybody. Not even Meowth." Kagome interjected, shaking her head. "Ash and the others offered to help me, and I'm grateful. I've got nothing against any of you. I'm forcing Meowth to help me as punishment because he and his friends tried to kidnap us this afternoon and I need his help. I'm lost and alone in a strange world and all I want to do is _go home_. Not fight."

"Humans _fight_." Vulpix said disdainfully. "Pokemon _battle_. Humans kill each other sometimes. Pokemon don't kill humans _or_ pokémon. And we only kill animals to survive. I don't know why you insist on making up such sick and wicked stories Kagome. And I cannot _believe_ you compared pokémon battle to mindless animals fighting! That's _disgusting_."

Kagome stared at her, completely confused.

"So you _like _beating the living daylights out of each other?" She asked, mystified.

"How _dare_ you_?_" Vulpix demanded, scandalized. She bristled, her fur standing up. "I challenge--"

"Vulpix, that's enough." A calm rumbling voice came from well above them.

"You can't interfere, Onix! This is honorable challenge!" Vulpix held her ground, but there was the slightest unease in her voice.

"Kagome is not a pokémon." The huge snake said sedately. "From what she says she has no experience with pokémon battles. Yet Pikachu said her attack destroyed a tree. Can _you_ do that?"

"No…" Vulpix said slowly. "But I could burn it down."

"If you battled her _you _would be battling. _She_ would be fighting--and she might very well kill you, silly fox. Don't let your pride lead you to needless doom."

"You believe her ridiculous story?" Vulpix demanded incredulously.

"Yes." Onix rumbled. "Pikachu saw her attack. Meowth is terrified of her. Yet she shows no sign of wanting to battle _or_ fight. She's shaped like a ninetales but her coloring is wrong. She's ignorant of the most basic things, things even hatchlings know. I don't know what demons are, or what she means by being in our world for only a day. But I do know the sound of truth when I hear it."

Vulpix sat down, refusing to look in Kagome's direction.

"For _your_ sake, Onix, I will honor your wishes." Vulpix said. "Not that I believe her for a moment."

"I'm sorry to cause such trouble." Kagome said in the silence. "Thank you for believing me, Onix."

"You're welcome." The snake lowered itself so it could stare eye-to-eye with Kagome. "I believe you, but I don't understand you. Why can't your aunt lift the curse she placed on you? Why aren't you with her?"

"Well, you see…" Kagome launched into her story a second time. The fact she didn't have to rely on Meowth's rather fractured translation made the telling much faster.

_It really is depressingly simple, stripped to the bare essentials_. Kagome thought ruefully.

"I see." Onix said thoughtfully. "So the children are going to call Professor Oak for advice on these flying letters of yours?" The snake reared slowly and nodded.

"A good enough plan. Brock may like the ladies far too much, but he's got a level head otherwise. I suggest we eat and get a good night's sleep. There may be _adventure_ before this is all settled." Onix said _adventure _the way most people said _stinking garbage_. Kagome couldn't disagree with him. In her experience adventures usually _did_ stink.

The humans had been busy setting up camp so they'd missed the tension between Vulpix, Meowth, and Kagome. Brock brought out more pokémon food and soon everyone was too busy eating to worry about other things.

Kagome found herself next to a comical looking duck. It was bright yellow and very chubby, but built upright like a human. It was holding its head as though it had a headache.

"Hi." She said.

"Hello." The duck said, wincing.

"What's the matter?"

"My head is killing me." The duck said, closing its eyes.

"Oh I'm sorry." Kagome said sympathetically. "Headaches are terrible."

"Yes, yes they are." The duck really looked at her for the first time. "So you're the cursed human. Did it hurt?"

"Oh God." Kagome said, wincing at the memory. "It hurt so badly and I couldn't black out. The headache I got after the curse was even worse. I had to keep my eyes closed for a long time. Every time I opened them it was like somebody was shining a searchlight in my eyes. I felt like Totosai was using my head for an anvil."

"I get that sometimes." The duck said, nodding. "Usually in the midst of a battle. That's when my attacks get really strong."

"They make you battle when you don't feel well? That's cruel!" Kagome exclaimed. The duck looked at her, cocking its head.

"You really don't know anything about pokémon, do you?" The duck asked, chuckling. "I _want_ to battle. Misty's been so kind to me, I want to prove myself for her. Besides, once my battle strength kicks in and I win the headache stops for a while. Sometimes for a whole day."

"You mean you have a headache _all the time_?" Kagome asked, aghast. "That's terrible!"

The duck shrugged. "I'm used to it. It usually isn't this bad."

"I wish I still had my backpack. I have aspirin. That usually gets rid of a headache."

"Does it work for pokémon? Or just humans?"

"You know, I have no idea?" Kagome said. "It cures my headaches but that was when I was human. I'm not sure if it would work on me now."

"Well if you find out, let me know. I really like it when the headache goes away. Oh, I'm Psyduck, by the way."

"I'm Kagome Higurashi, pleased to meet you, Psyduck." Kagome said automatically.

"Don't pay any attention to Vulpix." He continued. "She's so full of herself it's a wonder she lets the rest of us live in her world." He nodded to where Vulpix was cuddled in Brock's lap as he brushed her fur.

"Brock spoils her rotten. But I hear she's always been that way, even when she belonged to Suzy."

"Belonged?" Kagome asked sharply. "I thought pokémon and their trainers were partners?"

"They are." Psyduck cocked its head again. "Vulpix belongs to Brock. That means he's her trainer."

"So there's no ownership going on?" Kagome probed.

"Do you think a _human_ could keep a pokémon against its will?" Psyduck chuckled. "You really are naïve."

"Well excuse me! I only got here this morning you know. How am I supposed to know?"

"I guess you can't." Psyduck admitted. "It's like this. Some promising human children are given a pokémon on their tenth birthday and go out into the world to see if they can capture wild pokémon. That _doesn't _mean they're literally capturing them. It means the human and his pokémon have battled the wild one honorably and proven they are stronger. To do that the trainer has to know their stuff and that makes them a desirable partner. You see?"

"I think so." Kagome said slowly. "Partner for what? What do the wild pokémon get out of the deal?"

"Status. Prestige. Proof they're a desirable mate." Psyduck said. "We have our own society, just like humans do. We don't build cities or make stuff like humans, but our traditions and customs are just as old--and just as important to us as human laws are to them."

"A lot of those traditions revolve around the pokémon battle. The stronger a pokémon is, the higher their place is in the world. And there are baser motives, of course."

"I don't understand." Kagome said.

"Well, think about it. Not only do the humans help us get stronger--and thus increase our importance in our own society--the humans _pay us to do it_." Psyduck's bill parted in what Kagome's body told her was a grin.

"Free food, free lodging, we get to travel the world without having to walk. The humans love us too. They take great care of us. And all we have to do in return is battle. The best part? _We'd battle anyway_." Psyduck blinked happily. "Oh my, I'm telling you I'm almost embarrassed how much pokémon take advantage of humans!"

"Wow." Kagome said, finally seeing things from the pokémon point of view. "What do the humans get out of it?"

Psyduck shrugged. "I honestly don't know. The children who go on pokémon journeys get to have adventures. I'm told humans like that."

"Human society as a whole seems to have pokémon fever, though. I've never understood it. They set up elaborate networks of pokémon centers across the world, they let the children stay there for free and provide free food and medical service for both trainers and pokémon. They build elaborate gyms and arenas for pokémon to battle in--I _love_ battling in front of a crowd of cheering humans! The humans do our traditions tremendous honor with the sheer _effort_ they put out on our behalf." He sighed in contentment.

"I _love_ being a pokémon!" He brightened. "Hey, my headache's gone! Thanks, Kagome. I owe you."

"Anytime, Psyduck." Kagome answered politely, glad she'd been helpful. All she'd really done was listen though. Maybe he just needed somebody to talk to so he could relax.

Brock laid out an extra set of blankets for her to sleep on. She curled up and fell asleep wondering what Inuyasha was doing.


	8. 8 The Flea That Came To Dinner: Myoga

Chapter 8 - The Flea That Came To Dinner: Myoga

Inuyasha was pacing, face blank. Sango and Miroku eyed the half-demon uneasily. It had been a full day since Kagome's disappearance and night was falling again. The half-demon showed no signs of tiredness, unlike his companions, who were exhausted. Even Kirara, who had a demon's stamina, was sleeping. Shippo was curled up next to the monster cat, nestled in her fur to keep off the chill evening air.

"There's gotta be somebody that knows about those stupid flying kanji." Inuyasha snarled. "Sango, you're a demon slayer. Didn't your village have records about these things?"

"No, Inuyasha." Sango said, keeping her tone even. It was the third time he had asked her. "The closest thing I can think of is a possessed scroll. And from what we saw, if those creatures _are_ some kind of kanji they come from a language I've never seen before."

"The way they were spinning around their own eye makes recognizing them even harder, but they didn't look like kanji." Miroku commented. "Kanji are mostly straight lines and angles. These didn't have _any _straight lines. I've never heard of writing like that."

"Great. The sages are stumped." Inuyasha squatted, brooding. The fire popped and crackled, sending shadows dancing.

"Ok, they smell like stone dust, they look like writing and they're alive." Inuyasha raised his head, staring at the others. "What does it mean? A cursed scroll? A demon library?" He jumped suddenly and swatted the side of his neck.

"What the--" He examined the palm of his hand. A sour expression crossed his face. "Hello Myoga."

"Ohhh--greetings, Lord Inuyasha. Good to taste you again. Ohhh." A small but surprisingly audible voice groaned.

What looked like a two centimeter-high bald man with four arms, dressed in black pants and green shirt, was standing on Inuyasha's palm, shaking off the effects of having been swatted. In place of a nose he had a sharp horn that looked remarkably like a snowman's carrot nose.

"So, what brings you around, Myoga? Still running away from Shoga?" Inuyasha smirked.

"Not in the least." Myoga replied with wounded dignity. "Shoga has returned home to await me as is only proper in a flea bride."

Sango rolled her eyes. "You mean she gave up? After chasing you halfway across Japan? That's pretty hard to believe, Myoga."

"Nothing of the sort, Sango! I assure you Shoga and I have resolved any unfortunate misunderstandings concerning our nuptials." Myoga said, rubbing both pairs of hands. "Now, Lord Inuyasha I understand Kagome has been abducted by strange creatures."

"How'd you hear about that?" Inuyasha demanded.

"I have my sources, sire." The flea tried to look humble. "Having heard the terrible news I came as quickly as I could to see if I could render assistance."

"That'd be a first." Inuyasha snorted, fluttering the flea's white mustaches.

"I _am_ your retainer, Lord Inuyasha." Myoga drew himself up. "I know how much you care for the girl and want to do everything I can to aid in her safe return."

"Yeah, right. Unless you can tell me what stole her and where they are now, you might as well be on your way back to Shoga." Inuyasha said bitterly.

"Perhaps if you described them, Lord Inuyasha?" Myoga sat down and crossed his legs. "I am conversant with most demons that roam these lands."

"He might be able to help, Inuyasha." Miroku said. "He was your father's retainer, and your father traveled these lands extensively."

"Can't hurt." Inuyasha shrugged and sat down, placing Myoga on the ground.

"There was a swarm of 'em." Inuyasha started. "Flew kind of like gnats. They were about this big." He his hands about two-thirds of a meter apart. "They were black, with a single eye. They were shaped like some funny kind of kanji."

Myoga froze. "When you attacked the swarm, did they vanish all at once, sire?"

"Yeah. Shippo threw foxfire at 'em and _bam_. Took Kagome with 'em, she was in the middle of the swarm."

"Oh dear, oh dear." Myoga wrung both pairs of hands. "This is not good news, Lord Inuyasha."

"What?" Inuyasha demanded, alarmed.

"The demons you describe are called _ikujinashi._" Myoga said. "They are cowardly and disappear at the slightest hint of violence. They never approach demons at all, and they only watch humans from a distance."

"They attacked Kagome." Sango said. "After she purified the jewel shard with a sacred arrow."

"Yeah, it looked like it knocked 'em silly for a second." Inuyasha nodded. "Then they zoomed around her and lifted her into the air. Fast little snots."

Miroku frowned. "Myoga, you said they never approach demons, correct?"

"That is correct." Myoga nodded. "They are afraid of other demons."

"Yeah, well this crew came right into camp." Inuyasha said. "Sure didn't look like they were afraid of us. Wonder if the shard did somethin' to 'em?"

"It wouldn't surprise me." Miroku said. "Kagome did say the shard was tainted."

"That's right! And there's something else." Sango said, sitting up straighter. "When the shard was tainted the swarm moved slowly and randomly. As soon as they recovered from her purifying the shard they were _fast_. And the swarm made patterns as they moved."

"_Ikujinashi _are said to move purposefully." Myoga said thoughtfully. "Perhaps the tainted shard affected them. However, I cannot believe they actually _attacked_ Kagome. That is unheard of for _ikujinashi_. It would be like a mouse attacking a tiger."

"Well, they did it." Sango said. "Maybe they weren't _ikujinashi_."

"I'm certain they were." Myoga said firmly. "The description is too unique to be anything else."

"So how do we find 'em and get Kagome back?" Inuyasha asked, glaring at the flea.

"Well, Lord Inuyasha, I'm afraid we cannot." Myoga said regretfully.

"_What?_" Inuyasha yelled. "You stupid flea, why the hell not?"

"Please, sire!" Myoga held up his hands. "There's more to the tale of the _ikujinashi _that just cowardice."

"You're a fine one to talk about cowardice." Sango muttered under her breath.

"Go on." Inuyasha's eyes narrowed and he spoke as though he were gritting his teeth.

"You see, my Lord, _ikujinashi _appear only rarely and they never stay for more than a few minutes before something frightens them away. Once that happens it can be years before they regain enough courage to return."

"Are you telling me," Inuyasha growled, "these things are gone for _good_? Where did they go?"

Myoga shrugged. "No one really knows, Lord Inuyasha. However, there are whispers that the _ikujinashi _are not from this world. _Or _the next."

"Wait." Miroku said. "We've been to the border between this world and the next, Myoga. Even you. What do you mean they are not from either world?"

Myoga ignored the subtle insult. "_Ikujinashi _do not travel there, Master Miroku. Many demons have ties to the netherworld, and none have seen the _ikujinashi_."

"That can't be right." Inuyasha said, confused. "There's this world and the netherworld and the border between them. There's no place else they could be."

"That's not quite true, Inuyasha." Miroku said. "There's also _Takamanohara_, the upper realm."

"Never heard of it." Inuyasha said, scratching the side of his head.

"It is the realm of the gods of creation." Miroku said. "They never interfere in the human world."

"Well I doubt these flying eyeballs are _that_ high and mighty." Inuyasha said sarcastically. "If they were they wouldn't run like scared rabbits at the sight of a demon."

"There's one other thing, Lord Inuyasha." Myoga said reluctantly.

"Aha! Spit it out Myoga. You know something, you little coward." Inuyasha demanded.

"_Ikujinashi _are said to love learning. There is a place in the mountains where they have been seen many times. Ruins from before humans came to these lands."

"Ruins?" Miroku asked.

"Yes." Myoga nodded--the very picture of a wise old mentor. Only the slightest trembling spoiled the effect.

"In this place there are said to be stone tablets filled with a mysterious script. It is said the writing resembles the _ikujinashi _themselves. Other tales tell of humans driven mad by the ruins."

"Yeah, well, it's the best clue we got, so let's get going." Inuyasha bounced to his feet, ready to charge off right then. "Where these ruins at, Myoga?"

"Inuyasha, you may be ready to travel, but the rest of us have to rest." Miroku said firmly. "We don't have your stamina."

"Weakling humans." Inuyasha grumbled, settling down. "Kagome could be in real trouble, Miroku!"

"We've been awake for over 24 hours now, Inuyasha. If we're to confront these _ikujinashi _it won't do any good if most of the party is exhausted. I hate it as much as you, but it sounds like dealing with them will take cunning instead of brute strength. And while you are a matchless swordsman your approach is far too direct to deal with creatures that flee at the first sign of trouble. We need our wits about us."

"Yeah, yeah. I ain't the patient type, I admit. Especially not now."

"If you can't sleep maybe you could hunt while the rest of us recover." Sango suggested. "That way breakfast won't take as long."

"Been a long time since I hunted at night." Inuyasha grinned. "That's a _good_ idea, Sango. Give me something to kill." He flexed his claws. "Right now even a rabbit will do."


	9. 9 Kagome Raises A Mukus!

Chapter 9 - Kagome Raises A Muk-us!

Although the pace was punishing for Ash, Misty, and Meowth they held it. On noon of the march's second day they stumbled wearily into Stone Town. There had been no sign of Jesse or James, and Meowth's morale was at rock bottom. Like the two younger children he was spent, and merely collapsed silently when they found a park near the center of town.

In contrast, Brock was fine, and he promptly starting laying out lunch. Pikachu, who had ridden on Ash's shoulder most of the way, was _completely_ rested. He began exploring the park with enthusiasm. Kagome sat next to Meowth and rested. Her new body had been able to hold the pace, but she was pleasantly tired, unlike the exhausted Meowth who curled up and fell asleep. Misty and Ash were almost as bad off.

"I think I'm getting blisters on my blisters." Ash said, sinking gratefully onto a picnic table's bench. "I sure hope Professor Oak knows about those flying letter pokémon."

"We'll know after lunch." Misty said, laying her head on the picnic table. "Man! That was exhausting. I'm not used to walking that fast for so long! I hope we don't have to do that again."

"Me neither." Ash said. "Hey Brock, aren't you tired?" He watched the older boy whistle while he worked.

"Nope." Brock said cheerfully. "Good thing too. Or you guys wouldn't be getting lunch. You hungry, Kagome?"

Kagome yipped and nodded. By now she was getting used to making attention noises instead of trying to do everything with nods and shakes of her head. Not being able to talk was driving her nuts. Having Meowth to translate helped, but it just wasn't the same.

She just wished yipping didn't make her feel like an _animal_…

Then there was the whole eating her lunch out of a bowl thing. Even Pikachu and Meowth used their paws to scoop up the kibble. Kagome had to eat from the bowl like a dog. It was _embarrassing_. She hoped this Professor Oak they were about to call could unravel the mystery of the symbol pokémon. She wanted her old body back.

_They weren't evil. _Kagome thought to herself as she ate. _I bet if I could find them again they'd take me home--and probably change me back into a human too. Oh boy, I am so _not_ looking forward to that!_

She shuddered, remembering how much her transformation had hurt. But if it meant being human again she'd do it. Maybe she'd be able to faint quicker this time...

Meowth cheered up a little after he ate.

"Hey, Kagome? How much longer you gonna make me stick around?" Meowth asked. "I'm an important Meowt', I got tings. I should be doin'."

"Like kidnapping innocent pokémon?" She asked nastily.

"Egg-xactly." Meowth nodded. "Plus I gotta find James and Jesse. I can't believe dey left me!"

Kagome chuckled. "I wouldn't worry too much about those two, Meowth. They've been tracking us for two days now. As for sticking--"

"How you know dat?" Meowth demanded. "I ain't seen nuttin'."

"Jesse wears that awful perfume." Kagome said, wrinkling her nose. "I could smell it every time they got upwind of us."

"Eau de Criminalé, hah?" Meowth said. "Guess I should warn her 'bout dat."

"Or at least tell her that half the bottle at a time is a bit much." Kagome said with a smile.

Meowth might be a criminal, but he was starting to grow on her. There was just something so _pure_ about him. He had a refreshing bluntness that was endearing to someone from a society that made a virtue of indirectness.

"Okay guys. Let's see if we can find a phone." Brock said as he packed up lunch. "Stone Town is too small to have a Pokémon Center, but I'm sure we can find a phone in the town hall."

The group headed to the center of town, which consisted of a few stores, and the town hall itself. Sure enough, there was a public phone in the lobby.

Kagome eyed the "phone" curiously. Instead of a small booth and the familiar handset this phone was actually a chair in front of a large kiosk with a screen and an enormous keyboard underneath. Ash seated himself and swiped a card through a surprisingly ordinary looking card reader. The screen lit up and Ash rapidly typed something.

Music played from hidden speakers as an animated monkey-like pokémon rang a bell with a hammer.

_At least their phone system is cute._ Kagome thought, suppressing a giggle.

"Hello, this is the Pallet Town Pokémon Research Center--oh, hello Ash." A grey haired, clean-shaven man appeared on the screen. He was smiling. Behind him Kagome could catch glimpses of what looked like some kind of lab.

"Hey, Professor Oak! We're in Stone Town. We found someone who's in big trouble and we need your help." Ash exclaimed, leaning forward.

"What? Someone's in trouble? How can I help?"

"We found a ninetales, only she isn't a pokémon, she's a girl that's been cursed. She says she's from another world!"

"What? Wait! How can a pokémon say anything?" Professor Oak's eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to pull my leg, young man?"

"No Professor, it's true!" Brock leaned into the camera's view. "Her name is Kagome Higurashi and she says a bunch of pokémon that look like big flying letters brought her here and turned her into a ninetales. And she's no ordinary ninetales, either! We saw her completely destroy a tree! She calls the attack sacred arrow and it's like nothing I've _ever _seen before."

"Wait, Brock did you say _big flying letters_?" Professor Oak interrupted.

"That's right." Brock nodded.

"Did they have a single white eye? Were they flat?" Professor Oak asked, leaning forward intently.

Kagome yipped, slipping in front of Ash and jumping up to put her front paws on the kiosk. She nodded empathetically several times.

"You know what they are, Professor?" Misty asked, leaning into frame.

"Yes. They're a very rare and mysterious pokémon called _unown_." Professor Oak studied Kagome curiously.

"I see what you mean. A ninetales with purple eyes? Very unusual. And white, too. You're Kagome?"

Kagome nodded, heart beating fast in excitement. Professor Oak had recognized her abductors.

"Is it true you're a human being?" He asked. She nodded again, emphatically.

"Meowth, get over here." She ordered. Meowth came slouching over.

"Yeah?" He asked, staring at Professor Oak, who frowned when he recognized Meowth.

"What's _he_ doing traveling with you?" Professor Oak asked in a disapproving tone.

"Ain't my idea, old man." Meowth growled. "Kagome's forcin' me ta help her. Says she'll hunt me down if'n I try to run off."

"Really?" Professor Oak turned his gaze on Kagome. "Is that true?"

Kagome nodded, even though she was somewhat ashamed to admit it. She didn't want Meowth to get any ideas.

"Oh my." Professor Oak examined her more carefully. "That attack of yours, Kagome. Can you control how much force it strikes with?" Kagome shook her head.

"So if it hit a pokémon--or a person--they'd be destroyed like that tree?"

Kagome held very still for a moment. Then, reluctantly, she nodded once.

"Have you ever killed anyone?" Professor Oak's eyes were now hard. Kagome wondered how she should answer. She'd never killed a human, but some demons had been intelligent. Reluctantly she nodded again.

"I see." He said quietly.

"Kagome?" Ash asked uncertainly.

"Meowth, tell them. I only kill demons who are trying to hurt the innocent." Kagome said.

"Kagome says she don't kill humans. Says she only kills demons what try to eat people." Meowth translated. Kagome stared at the cat, surprised at how sympathetically Meowth had worded that. Surely no one could think her evil for killing demons trying to eat people?

"Eat _people_?" Professor Oak's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"It's a long story, Professor." Brock broke in. "Kagome thinks the unown somehow pulled her out of her own world and sideways through time into ours. In her own world she travels back and forth through time. The demons she fights are in her past. They eat people."

"Extraordinary." Professor Oak said. "Young lady that's quite an unbelievable story, you know."

Kagome tried to shrug. The result was--barely--understandable to the humans watching.

"Professor, she wants to go home." Misty said in the uncomfortable silence. "We thought you'd know how to find the unown so Kagome could ask them to take her home."

"I'm sorry, Misty. I don't know that much about the unown." Professor Oak said.

Kagome felt her ears droop in disappointment. She let herself slip into a sitting position.

"The person you want to talk to is Professor Hale. The unown are his specialty. He lives in Greenfield where he's discovered some ruins associated with them."

"Can you give me his number, Professor?" Ash asked. "And tell us how to get to Greenfield?"

"I could give you his number, Ash, but I doubt you could reach him. He and his assistant Schuyler are almost always at the ruins. Besides, if you're calling from Stone Town it would take you weeks to get there on foot."

"But we need to talk to him, Professor!" Ash said desperately. "Kagome's got something really important going on back in her world. She needs to get back as soon as possible."

Professor Oak was silent for several seconds. Then he broke into a grin. "Sounds like you've got a real mystery on your hands. If Kagome is telling the truth this is an _unprecedented_ opportunity for research! Ash, I'm going to come to Stone Town. It should take me about two hours to get there."

"Huh? But you're in Pallet Town. That's a really long way!" Ash said, thinking of how long he had been away on his journey.

"I'm going to charter a helicopter." Professor Oak said. "I also need to contact several colleagues so we can mount a proper investigation. If Kagome's story is true then this is perhaps the biggest discovery in Pokémon history!"

"Wow!" Ash said excitedly.

Kagome, on the other hand, wasn't so sure. It sounded like it was going to be a huge production. But she wanted to go home, so she didn't make any objections. It might have undermined what little credibility she had with Professor Oak.

"Well, I have a lot to do before I get there, so I'll talk to you later, Ash." Professor Oak said.

"Ok, Professor. We'll see you soon!" Ash ended the call. "Kagome, isn't this great? Professor Oak is going to take us to Greenfield to meet Professor Hale. I bet we'll find those unown and have you home really soon!"

Kagome smiled at him, her tails waving, even though she was beginning to dread the "research" Professor Oak had in mind. She wondered if they were going to want blood and other fluid samples…

"Hold on, Ash." Brock said. "Professor Oak never said he'd take us to Greenfield. He's coming _here_."

"Yeah, but Brock, the Professor said it was a big deal." Ash argued. "Kagome got turned into a pokémon by the unown. That's never happened before!"

"He also said _if _Kagome's story was true." Brock cautioned the other boy.

"You don't believe her, Brock?" Misty asked incredulously.

"Of course I do, Misty." Brock said. "But Professor Oak is a scientist. He can't take anything on faith. I'm sure once he meets Kagome and hears her story first hand we'll be on our way to Greenfield."

He turned to Kagome. "The questions are likely to be pretty grueling. And they'll certainly want to see your sacred arrow attack. You up for this?"

Kagome nodded firmly. If it would get her home she'd be willing to answer any questions put to her, no matter how long it took. As for the sacred arrow attack…

"Meowth, tell them if I'm going to do that attack again we need someplace where the explosion won't hurt anyone." Kagome said.

"Hey pervert! Kagome says we gotta have some place where nobody is gonna get hurt by da blast." Meowth translated.

"_Stop calling me that!"_ Brock shouted. Meowth backed up.

"Okay already! Ain't my fault if you're a pervert, is it?"

Brock's shout had attracted the attention of the receptionist. She came hurrying over. Fortunately for the group she was an elderly lady so Brock's--weakness--wasn't going to come to light.

"Is there a problem here?" She asked in a tone that suggested there had better not be.

"No ma'am." Ash said, straightening up. She reminded him of the librarian in the Pallet Town library. He shivered.

"Young man, we do not _shout_ in the town hall. Is that understood?" She glared at Brock.

"Yes, ma'am!" Brock stood to attention. "Sorry ma'am. It won't happen again. My apologies."

"See that it does not." She turned and marched back to her desk. The group beat a hasty retreat outside.

"Thanks a lot, Meowth." Brock growled. "Make sure you don't call me that again. Or you're gonna go _hungry_ for the rest of the trip."

"Meowth, he's not a pervert." Kagome said. "He's just a little too--enthusiastic about girls. Trust me, he's no pervert. _Ecchi_ maybe, but not _hentai_."

"Itchy?" Meowth asked in confusion. "And what does a tied up chicken gotta do with it?"

Kagome couldn't help it. She burst into laughter, short staccato barks that she couldn't stop. Meowth looked annoyed, obviously able to tell she was laughing. Pikachu looked confused.

"What's so funny?" Pikachu asked.

"Oh my." The barks subsided to the point she was able to talk again. "Sorry, Meowth. I guess those words don't translate either. Never mind."

"No, if youse gonna laugh at me I wanna know da joke!" Meowth demanded irritably.

"It was a bad joke, Meowth. I'm sorry I laughed. Now drop it, ok?" Kagome said, regretting her laughter. But _tied up chicken_ was such a strong mental image she started giggling again.

The humans looked on in total confusion.

"Why's Kagome laughing, Meowth?" Misty asked.

"She says it was a bad joke." Meowth said. "She don't wanna tell me."

"_Okaaay_…" Brock said. He suspected the joke probably wasn't suitable for Ash or Misty to hear, so he cast around for a way to change the subject. "Hey guys, you know why they call this Stone Town?"

"No Brock, how come?" Ash the easily distracted, asked.

"Because they mine Evolution Stones out of the mountain."

"What's an Evolution Stone?" The younger boy asked, interested.

"You touch a pokémon with an Evolution Stone and they evolve." Brock explained. "Different pokémon need different stones."

"So all you have to do is touch your pokémon with the stone and it evolves?" Misty asked. "That's so cool!"

"Pikachu, how'd you like to become a Raichu?" Ash asked, excited. Pikachu shook his head.

"I don't want to evolve yet! Raichu can't learn new attacks!" Pikachu protested.

"You wouldn't want to?" Ash asked, surprised. Pikachu shook his head very firmly. "Huh, that's weird. But I won't try to make you if you don't want to."

Pikachu nuzzled Ash's cheek.

Kagome frowned in confusion.

"What are they talking about?" Kagome asked Meowth. "Evolution takes thousands and thousands of years."

Meowth looked at her strangely. "No it don't. It might take 30 seconds, if youse slow."

"_What?_" Kagome exclaimed. "Wait, are we talking about the same thing?"

"Dunno." Meowth said. "Youse a ninetales--well ok you got cursed--but da ting is, a ninetales evolves from a vulpix if ya use a firestone."

"You mean a vulpix can _turn into_ a ninetales?" Kagome asked, obviously amazed.

"Yeah. You didn't know dis?"

Kagome shook her head. "In my world everything evolves, even humans. But it's very slow. Species evolve, but individuals don't."

"Humans evolve?" Meowth asked, fascinated. "Into what?"

"I don't know, Meowth. I won't be around to see." Kagome said patiently--then paused. "Well, if the curse takes effect and I turn into a fox demon I might, come to think of it. But scientists say that humans have only been humans for something like 250,000 years."

"What was dey before dat?"

"Some kind of smart ape, I think." She said. "Evolutionary theory was never my strong suite."

"Humans come from _monkeys_?" Meowth started to laugh. "Dat's _rich!_"

"Apes, Meowth. Monkeys have tails, apes don't." Kagome said, dredging up a bit of trivia from her pitiful store. _Man, I'm so far behind on my studies! I'm never going to get into high school._ She thought, depressed.

"Well pokémon don't gotta wait." Meowth said in satisfaction. "Pokémon evolve lickety-split! 'Course most pokémon only do it once. Like Meowt'." Meowth considered. "Well, some do it twice. When I evolve I'm gonna be a Persian. Cheese-breath don't wanna evolve 'cause he can't learn new attacks once he does."

"Is that why you don't want to evolve, Pikachu?" Ash said, only able to follow Meowth's side of the conversation. Pikachu nodded and smiled.

"I guess pokémon evolution's more complicated than most people think." Brock commented. "As a pokémon breeder I have to know these things. That's why I study hard."

"A pokémon _breeder?_" Kagome asked, scandalized. "He is a pervert!"

"Told ya." Meowth said complacently.

"No, no, Kagome. That just means he's studying to work in a breeding center." Pikachu said. When he saw the shocked look on her face he hurried to explain. "That's where city pokémon go to find mates and lay eggs. The humans that run the center help take care of the newly hatched pokémon. Pokémon breeders also work to find ways to create better pokémon food and to give hatchlings a leg up in life. It's really important for all pokémon."

"So, it's like a hospital?" Kagome asked, trying to figure out what Pikachu was talking about.

"No, that's a Pokémon Center." Pikachu explained. "They treat injuries from battle, accidents, sickness--things like that. A breeding center does other things. Like teaching the hatchlings, taking care of them, the food research, and so on."

"That's really different from humans." Kagome noted. "Human women have to go to the hospital to have babies. I guess laying eggs really is easier."

"I think it must be." Pikachu said. "And Brock's going to be a fine breeder. He's got that maternal instinct. Haven't you noticed the way he takes care of Ash and Misty?"

"Yes, now that you mention it." Kagome nodded. "Ok, I take back what I said. He's not a pervert."

"Will you make up your mind?" Meowth complained. "Is he or ain't he?"

"He's not." Kagome said, giving Meowth a meaningfully look.

"Is who not what?" Misty asked, confused.

"I asked Kagome if he was a pervert or not." Meowth said, pointing at Brock. "She says he ain't. Itchy, maybe, but he ain't no tied up chicken."

_"Meowth!_" Kagome protested, appalled by his lack of manners. If she could have blushed she would have.

"What?" Meowth asked. "You _said_ he was itchy!"

"No, Meowth. That's not what I said! I don't know what language humans speak here or why I can understand it, but in my own world I speak Japanese. Those words are _Japanese_ and didn't translate properly. _Ecchi _doesn't mean _itchy_ and _hentai _certainly doesn't mean _tied up chicken._"

"So what does dey mean?" Meowth demanded.

"Well, _hentai_ means pervert." Kagome admitted. "So does _ecchi_, really, but it's much milder. Sort of like the difference between _darn_ and _damn_."

"Hey, no cussing!" Meowth said. "Dere's _children_ present."

"Who can't understand a single word I say Meowth." Kagome reminded him dryly. "But they _can _understand you."

"Oops." Meowth said sheepishly.

"What are you and Kagome talking about, Meowth?" Ash asked curiously.

"Um, some ting dat twerps ain't supposed to know about." Meowth said uncomfortably. "Da pervert--I mean _itchy_, no wait--" Meowth trailed off, mumbling to himself.

"Just call him _Brock_, Meowth." Kagome said patiently. "That's his name."

"Okay, okay! Sheesh." Meowth said. "But he's still itchy."

"Meowth, please translate this, _word for word_." Kagome said through gritted teeth.

"Ok." Meowth said, eyeing her uneasily.

"Brock, I apologize for bringing up the whole unfortunate subject. Please forgive my clumsiness. I do _not_ believe you're a pervert and I think Meowth should never call you that."

Kagome tried to bow from habit, but bowing didn't work so well for foxes. She looked like she was a dog saying she wanted to play.

Meowth rolled his eyes but delivered the message, more or less word for word, given his heavy accent.

"What a lovely apology." Brock said in admiration. "Kagome, I never thought for an instant you believed I was. Meowth doesn't have your fine manners so I usually ignore his insults. He doesn't know any better."

"Hey, dat ain't true!" Meowth protested. "I know better, I just tink it's stupid, is all."

Kagome smiled. Meowth was--well, Meowth. Crude, yes. Criminal, of course. But still…

"So what should we do while we're waiting?" Misty asked.

"I'm thinking we need to stock up on supplies." Brock said. "Now that we have two extra pokémon I need to rework our supply situation."

"Ok." Misty said. "And if there's any time left, maybe we can look around town. Is there anything to see in Stone Town, Brock?"

"Hmm, let's see." Brock reached into a pocket of his backpack and pulled out a book. "Stone Town, Stone Town. Ah, here it is! They have a museum containing the various Evolution Stones from the mountain. Says here the exhibits are behind special glass so the stones won't affect pokémon.

"Cool!" Ash exclaimed. "I wanna see that!"

The time went swiftly, most of it spent in the museum. They were headed back to the park when the sound of a helicopter intruded on the peaceful quiet of the afternoon.

"That must be Professor Oak!" Ash said excitedly. "Come on you guys!" He dashed for the park. The rest of the group broke into a run to catch up, Meowth muttering about impatient twerps.

By the time they reached the park the helicopter had landed and the blades were slowing to a stop. It was fairly large and bright red. It looked like a normal helicopter to Kagome; she'd been expecting something a little more exotic.

The first person off the copter was Professor Oak. He was accompanied by a much younger man with brown hair and glasses. Ash waved to attract Professor Oak's attention. The older man nudged his companion and the two started walking toward the group.

Kagome studied the pair as they approached. Both wore amiable expressions, open lab coats, slacks, and dress shirts.

_Mad Scientist Casual,_ Kagome thought giddily. _Of course. They're scientists, Kagome. What did you expect?_

"Ash, hello!" Professor Oak said, beaming. "Brock, Misty, I trust you're well?"

"Yes, sir." Misty said. Brock nodded in greeting.

"Hello, Pikachu." The older man said, smiling.

"Hello, Professor Oak. Good to see you again." Pikachu answered. It was obvious from his reaction that the Professor didn't understand Pokémon. His eyes moved to Kagome, who nodded her head instead of bowing. Her new body's bow was simply _embarrassing_.

"You must be Kagome." He squatted as he addressed her. Kagome was touched by the courtesy. She didn't like it when people talked to her while standing. It was a bit unnerving the way they towered over her.

"Kagome, and everyone, I'd like to introduce my colleague Professor Elm." Professor Oak introduced his friend with a wave of the hand.

"Glad to meet everyone." Professor Elm said. "And you most especially, Kagome. I understand you're a human that the unown transformed into a pokémon? This is a particularly exciting from a research point of view, as no one has ever gotten to speak with a human who's become a pokémon. Well, what I mean is--"

"What Professor Elm is trying to say is we're both very glad to meet you." Professor Oak said hastily. "And once we've made some tests and confirmed your situation we'll be happy to take you to see Professor Hale."

"Meowth, please translate." Kagome said. The cat came forward reluctantly. There was no love lost between Team Rocket and Professor Oak.

Kagome launched into her story for a third time. By now she knew which details to leave out to avoid awkward questions from her audience.

"So you see," Kagome concluded. "I really have no other way to get home except the unown. And Professor Hale seems to be an expert on them. I'm hoping he can help me find them and talk to them."

Meowth was getting better at the translation; he didn't add any color commentary while talking with Professor Oak. For which Kagome was very grateful.

"You actually spoke with the unown?" Professor Oak asked, intrigued by the thought. Kagome hesitated.

"Kagome says she didn't exactly talk to 'em." Meowth translated. "She talked to dem, dey didn't answer back. But dey seemed to understand. Kinda."

"Kind of?" Professor Elm broke in. "What do you mean?"

"Well, dey didn't take her home. Dey made her a pokémon and sent her here, da home of pokémon." Meowth said after a short explanation from Kagome.

"She says dey found her curse and used dat as a stencil to make her into a ninetales 'cause it was as close as dey could get to the curse."

"Astounding! Kagome, I specialize in unusual pokémon powers and this sacred arrow attack of yours sounds absolutely _fascinating_. I can't wait to see it!" Professor Elm said excitedly. Meowth and Kagome exchanged looks.

"Well, ya see it's like dis." Meowth said. "The last time she used it she blew up a tree. We could all have been hurt real bad! So when she shows it off dis time she wants lots o' space around, so da shrapnel don't hurt nobody."

"Shrapnel?" Professor Elm asked blankly.

"She blew the tree into lots of little pieces." Brock broke in. "And the blast knocked down a half dozen other trees too. Big ones! All that was left was a hole in the ground. We were really lucky nobody got hurt."

Professor Elm grabbed a notebook from his pocket and started frantically scribbling notes.

"Kagome, could you estimate the yield of the explosion? How big a tree was it? How far did the shrapnel fly? We've got to find a target so I can see this. Absolutely amazing!"

Kagome turned to Pikachu. "Is this guy for real?"

Pikachu shrugged. "Humans have odd ideas about what's important sometimes."

"Meowth, tell the Professor we were kind of in the middle of a fight at the time." Kagome said.

"Kagome says we was kind of busy fightin' and such, so we don't know da answers to your questions." Meowth said.

"Oh that's too bad." Professor Elm said. He brightened. "We can use the helicopter to find a suitable spot. We shouldn't do it near town, of course. Might scare someone. Professor Oak--"

"Before we see Kagome's attack, why don't we find out a little bit more about her?" Professor Oak interrupted his excited colleague. "Now, Kagome, where do you come from? How old are you? How did you come to be a time traveler?"

"Ho boy, he doesn't ask easy questions does he?" Kagome muttered. She looked around for a patch of dirt or sand. Finding one she started scratching in the dirt with her paw. It was harder than she thought, but her claws were sharp enough to dig into the soil.

"There." She said in triumph.

日暮 かごめ,

"What is it?" Meowth asked, puzzled. "Looks like chicken scratch ta me."

"It's my name." Kagome retorted. "See, it says _Higurashi Kagome_."

"If you say so." Meowth said doubtfully. "Still don't look like writin' to me."

"That's because it's in Japanese, my native language."

"Professor Oak, look!" Professor Elm was carefully copying down the kanji. "It's a strange language."

"Um, Meowth, would you tell him he's copied it upside down?" Kagome said, staring at the man. He was standing across from her, enraptured by the letters in the dirt.

"Hey! She says you're copying it upside down!" Meowth blurted. "It's her name in Japanese, whatever dat is."

"Japanese? I've never heard of that language, have you Professor Oak?" Professor Elm came around and copied the kanji right side up this time."

"No, I haven't. Where are you from, Kagome?" Professor Oak asked.

"I live in Tokyo. That's a city in the Kanto region of the island of Honshu, in the country of Japan."

"Wait a minute!" Meowth protested. "You're _standing _in the Kanto region right now! And dis ain't no island!"

"What did she say, Meowth?" Professor Oak asked.

"She says she lives in da city o' Toe-key-o, in the Kanto region. But I never heard of Toe-key-o. And she says the city's on an island named Hon-shoe. Dat ain't possible, is it?"

"Not in this world." Professor Oak said with growing excitement. "How big is Toe-key-o, Kagome?"

"About eight million people, I think?" Kagome said. Everyone was stunned when Meowth translated.

"That's gotta be bigger than any city in the world!" Ash exclaimed.

"Saffron City is less than a million people." Professor Oak said. "Goldenrod City is a little bigger, but not much. They're two of the biggest cities in the world."

"I can't imagine a city that big." Misty said. "I bet it's really something!"

"Are there pokémon in your world, Kagome?" Professor Elm asked, almost vibrating with excitement. "How many? What kinds? Do they battle for status like here?"

"Kagome says her world doesn't have pokémon, Professor Elm." Ash said. "She said there were demons in the past, but in her time it's just people and animals."

"Fascinating." Professor Elm was scribbling furiously, already having used up a quarter of his notebook. "Without pokémon how does the ecology work? How do you partner with animals? Can you? If not how do you--"

"Dis guy never shuts up." Meowth said in wonder. "How come he can talk so much and not take a breat'?"

"Meowth, that's rude." Kagome chided him. "Tell him I'm not sure how the ecology works. I'm only fifteen, and I've spent so much time in the past I'm really behind on my studies."

"Hey, Professor! Kagome says she's only fifteen. She ain't a brainy scientist type like youse two. She says she spends so much time in da past she's havin' trouble in school."

"Oh, now that is really disappointing." Professor Elm's pencil came to rest. "Surely there's something you can tell me?"

"Well, I have a pet cat named Buyo." Kagome said uncertainly. "And I know people keep dogs for pets and guards. They can herd cattle and sheep too. Oh, and lead the blind."

Meowth's jaw dropped. "You got a pet _cat? _Meowt' or Persian?"

"No, Meowth, it's a _cat_. About this big." Kagome held her paws apart to illustrate, balancing awkwardly on her hindquarters. "It can't talk or think like people. It's just a cat."

"Weird." The cat-pokémon muttered before translating. Professor Elm started writing again, so fast Kagome thought his pencil would tear the paper.

"Are there mice too?" Pikachu asked.

"Well, yeah, but mice are really tiny in my world, maybe four centimeters long. And not everybody thinks they're cute. Some people are afraid of them. Usually they're pests. Sorry."

"I don't think I'd like your world." Pikachu said. "No pokémon? Demons eating people? Huge cities?" He shook his head.

"Well, there aren't any demons in the present." Kagome said. What would Professor Elm have made of _that_ comment if he could have understood her?

"What color is your cat?" Professor Elm demanded.

"Um, white with brown and black patches." Kagome responded. She was amazed how much writing Meowth's simple five word translation provoked. She dreaded to think how many notebooks her attack was going to fill.

"Professor Elm." Professor Oak interrupted. "Maybe it's time to see Kagome's sacred arrow attack now?"

"Oh wonderful! Well, everybody in the helicopter! It shouldn't take the pilot very long to find us a suitable spot!" Professor Elm spun on his heel and charged at full run for the helicopter.

"Um, is he always so energetic?" Misty asked Professor Oak.

"Oh my, yes!" Professor Oak laughed. "Even as a student he was always rushing about. He's afraid he'll miss something interesting if he slows down. I try to tell him that's no way to study, but he never listens. We'd better get onboard; he might fall down if he gets any more impatient."

Professor Elm was waving frantically from the helicopter for them to hurry. He slipped and would have fallen but grabbed a handhold just in time.

"See?" Professor Oak said, grinning. He headed for the copter at a much more sedate pace.

The pilot easily found a small copse of trees in a clearing far enough from the town not to alarm the citizens. The clearing was several hundred meters in diameter. Kagome nodded when Professor Elm asked her if it was big enough.

Once they disembarked, Professor Oak pointed to the trees.

"The first order of business is making sure there are no pokémon in those trees. Ash, Misty, would you tend to that while Professor Elm and I set up the equipment please?"

"What kind of equipment are you using, Professor?" Brock asked, interested.

"It's a seismometer, Brock. It will measure the shockwave and give us a way to calculate the power of Kagome's attack. We also have a weather station to measure the wind speed of the shock. You did say it knocked you off your feet?"

"Yes sir." Brock nodded. "We were a lot closer to the blast though."

"About how far would you say?" Professor Elm asked with pencil poised.

"Maybe twenty meters?" Brock guessed. "Things were pretty tense while it was happening. Team Rocket was trying to steal Pikachu and Kagome."

"Meowth!" Professor Oak scolded. "Why must you constantly try to steal Pikachu?"

"Hey, you do science-y stuff. I steal pokémon." Meowth shrugged. "We all got a job ta do, right?"

Professor Oak stared at Meowth with jaw hanging open.

"What? Its da truth ain't it?" Meowth said. Professor Oak shook his head and busied himself setting up the instruments.

"Why do you steal pokémon anyway, Meowth?" Kagome said. "It must be hard work and it doesn't seem to pay very well."

"You got dat right." Meowth snorted. "Da boss is gettin' impatient wit' us too."

"You know I'll bet there are a _lot_ of humans that would love to be able to hear what their pokémon have to say." Kagome said. "Why don't you become a translator? There aren't that many pokémon that can speak to humans, right? You'd make a fortune."

"A fortune?" Meowth's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Kagome nodded. "Sure. As pokémon-crazy as the humans are in this world I'm sure everybody would love to have a conversation with their pokémon at least once. You'd never lack for customers."

"Huh. Meowt' the translatin' pokémon!" Meowth's face split into an enormous grin. "You're okay, Kagome. Even if youse forcin' me ta do your biddin'. I'll have to talk it over wit' Jesse and Jimmy."

"Sure. They could be your managers." Kagome said. "Then you can give up your life of crime for an easy job that pays you lots of money. Why didn't you think of this yourself?"

"Dunno." Meowth scratched his head lightly with a single claw. "Never thought about it, I guess. Talkin' Human never seemed all dat important, since Meowzie dumped me 'cause of it. I learned to talk Human for her you see and den she called me a freak and stayed with dat Persian. Even _after _I won against him in a pokémon battle."

Kagome winced. "Oh Meowth, I'm so sorry to hear that!" She said sympathetically.

"You is?" Meowth asked surprised. "Nobody but Jesse and James ever cared. Dey sprung me after da gang was gonna jump me. But dey never understood why I done it."

"You were in love." Kagome said, her teenage heart stirred by the sad tale. "It's _heroic_, Meowth. Meowzie didn't deserve you. If you hadn't fallen in with Team Rocket you could have gone far in the world"

"Me, a hero?" Meowth laughed. "Not likely. Da world ain't kind-hearted to an alley-cat like me."

"But what about a _translating_ Meowth?" Kagome suggested slyly. "Giving every human and their pokémon an opportunity to _really_ understand each other?"

"That's a good idea, Meowth. You could earn an honest living for a change." Pikachu interjected. "Then you could leave me _alone_."

"Maybe." Meowth nodded. "I'm just an old alley cat, Kagome. Never amounted to much. I thought Team Rocket was my lucky break." He snorted. "Ain't turned out so good. Jesse and James and me, we're screw ups. Always has been. But you ain't like us. Even after I tried to steal you, you come up with a way for me to make some real money--and do it honest. Who knows? Maybe dis can be our chance. Finally."

He stared at her, obviously debating with himself. "Ah, what da heck. You done alright by me, Kagome. I'm sorry I tried to steal youse. I ain't a hero like you. You fight tings dat wanna eat ya! I just run away and hide, and sneak around tryin' to steal enough to fill ma belly."

"So what I'm tryin' to say here is I wanna help you get home. 'Course I ain't a hero, so I'll probably mess tings up for youse guys. But I wanna help."

"Thank you, Meowth." Kagome didn't know what to think. He sounded sincere, but this was _Meowth_, after all. He could be planning to double-cross her as revenge. Inuyasha was forever telling her she was too gullible. But she wanted to believe him.

"All right, the equipment is ready." Professor Oak said. Ash and Misty were headed back from the trees, and Professor Elm had a fresh notebook and pencil ready.

"Kagome, what is the range of your sacred arrow?" Professor Elm asked. Kagome shook her head and spoke to Meowth.

"She ain't sure. When she was a human she could hit a human sized demon from about two hundred meters wit' a bow and arrow." Meowth said with a gulp. "Now that she's using a spirit power attack she got no idea. She wants ta try from a hundred meters."

"Kagome that might still be too close." Brock said in a worried tone. "We were lucky last time. I'd be happier if you had some protection. Onix, I choose you!" He brought out a pokéball and the huge stone snake appeared in a flare of light.

"Onix, can you lie in front of Kagome and make sure no shrapnel hits her?"

The giant snake nodded, winking at Kagome.

"Onix, I appreciate your offer but I can't let you endanger yourself." Kagome protested. Onix chuckled, sounding like rocks grating.

"I'm not afraid of a little wood, Kagome." He said. "Wood can't hurt my stone body. No matter how hard it hits me. You can't say the same."

"True." She admitted. "I'd still feel bad if something hit you though. Please reconsider."

"Are all foxes so proud they run headlong into danger?" Onix asked, his eyes twinkling. "Little friend I'll take no hurt from your flying splinters. Let me guard your fragile flesh and bones."

"Well, if you're _sure_." Kagome said, wanting the snake's stone body between her and the soon-to-be-exploding tree, but guilty about putting him at risk.

"I insist." Onix said. "Don't argue with common sense, fox. Now where do you want me?"

"Thank you, Onix." She said gratefully. "I want to shoot from about a hundred meters away from those trees in the middle of the clearing."

"Say no more." He and Kagome headed to her chosen shooting spot while the others stayed a good five hundred meters from the target and, as an extra precaution, lay in the grass.

Onix arranged himself in a semi-circle, head and tail pointed away from the trees. Kagome found her vision of the target blocked by the wall of stone in front of her. She reared up. She could see now, but the position was too awkward.

"Onix, I'm going to have to stand on top of you to shoot, and then I'll leap down behind you. Do you mind?"

"Not in the slightest, Kagome. Just be sure you're quick to get behind me. I don't want to tell anyone the story of how curiosity killed the fox."

"You and me both. I'll be quick." She promised. She jumped up on Onix's back and found her footing. It was like standing on any other pile of curved rocks. It was hard to believe she was on top of a living creature--a _person_, she corrected herself.

"Ready?" She asked the snake.

"Whenever you are." He replied. She nodded and gathered her spiritual powers. The spirit arrow built rapidly, she could feel it like fire in the back of her throat. She picked out a good sized tree standing on the edge of the copse and within a couple of seconds opened her mouth and released the fire.

She saw the little purple spot of light flash away and she was diving for the safety of Onix's side, landing on her belly. There was a pause long enough for her heart to beat twice, and then came an earth-shattering _boom_ that bounced her into the air. This was rapidly followed by a _crack_ like a gunshot. Onix grunted.

"Are you okay?" She asked frantically, afraid he'd been hurt.

"Oww. That _stung, _yes it did." Onix curved around to look at the impact. Kagome hurried around to see, and nearly fainted.

"Oh _Onix_, I'm so sorry! I told you this was a bad idea!" She stared at the jagged chunk of wood that probably weighed as much as she did. It had slammed into Onix behind where she'd been hiding.

The jagged chunk was _burning. _Little flames danced thoroughout the wood. She could smell the smoke.

She gulped, reminding herself to thank Brock later for saving her life.

"Oh, stop fussing little fox. I'm not hurt." Onix said. "I told you, it'll take more than a little flying wood to stop old Onix."

Brock was running full speed toward them, trailed by the rest of the group, including Meowth.

"Hey! Are you guys all right?" He skidded to a stop, his eyes moving from Kagome to Onix to the burning log.

"Squirtle, I choose you!" Ash called out. When the humanoid turtle appeared, Ash said. "Douse that fire, Squirtle!"

Kagome jumped back as the turtle opened its mouth and turned into a living fire hose. The fire went out almost at once in a cloud of hissing steam.

"Wow!" She said, staring at Squirtle, who grinned at her.

"Back at ya, gorgeous. Pretty impressive attack you got there."

"Maybe _too _impressive." Kagome said ruefully. "But yours is a lot more useful!"

"Yeah. I used to be a firefighter." He said, offhandedly. "Hey Onix, you okay old rock head?"

"I'm fine." Onix said. "It was only wood, Squirtle. Why's everybody making such a fuss?"

Brock certainly was, examining Onix with minute care. Apparently satisfied he returned Onix to his pokéball.

"That's our Onix! Stoic as ever." Squirtle chuckled. "I guess I better see if there's any more fires." He trotted for the copse. Kagome turned around and looked at the results of her attack for the first time.

"Oh my." She said feeling a little sick. As before the tree had disintegrated, leaving a crater. And like before it had knocked down more trees. But unlike the half-dozen trees from the last attack it looked like this one had leveled half the copse.

"Is it my imagination, or is dis worse dan last time?" Meowth asked, staring at the wooden carnage.

"I think it's worse." Kagome said. "Maybe the trees were smaller? Or the wood wasn't as tough?"

"Trees got different kinds o' wood?" Meowth asked in surprise.

"Oh yes." Professor Elm said absent-mindedly as he took in the destruction. "Oak trees, for example are much tougher than, say, pine trees. Shall we go take a look?" He started forward at a brisk walk, already writing furiously.

"Kagome, Meowth, can I talk to you a minute?" Professor Oak said. "Ash, we'll catch up with the rest of you."

Kagome winced. She suspected what was coming.

Once the others were out of earshot Professor Oak turned a grave face toward Kagome.

"Well I must say that attack convinces me you're no ordinary pokémon, Kagome. As remarkable as your story is, I do believe you're telling the truth. I'll take you to see Professor Hale and I'll do what I can to help you get home as soon as possible."

Kagome stared at him, waiting for the other shoe to drop. He took a deep breath.

_Here it comes_. She thought, tensing.

"But in return I want you to promise me you will never use sacred arrow again, as long as you are in our world. It's far too powerful, and you could kill a lot of people without meaning to. Do I have your word?"

Kagome watched him, debating how to answer.

Meowth looked at her, then at Professor Oak. The cat looked like he wanted to run away.

"Meowth, please translate this word for word." Kagome said finally. Meowth translated as she spoke, trying his best to do as she'd asked.

"Professor Oak, I've been hunting jewel shards for almost a year now. I've killed demons that were trying to kill me, or eat innocent people, or suck out all their blood. I've seen things that would turn your stomach. Lots of ugly ways to die."

"Killing isn't something I take lightly. I am not reckless and I am _not_ careless with people's lives--and that includes pokémon."

"You have my word that I will do everything in my power to avoid using my sacred arrows _unless_ it will save someone's life. In my world, holding back during a fight gets you killed. It can get a _lot_ of other people killed too. I know this isn't my world, and I pray to the gods I'm never forced to use my sacred arrow in a real fight while I'm here."

She paused to let Meowth catch up his translation. If he'd been human Meowth would have been sweating.

"I won't lie to you. I can't promise I'll never use it again. But if I do use it, it will be because something horrible is about to happen, and the only way to stop it is with that attack. Please understand, I believe the lives of the innocent are more important than keeping a promise that might get them killed."

"So I swear before the gods I will do my best to never endanger the innocent. That's all I can promise."

She stared at him, trying to make him see she meant every word. He studied her for an uncomfortably long time. Then he nodded.

"Well said, Kagome. I'll hold you to that promise." Professor Oak didn't smile, but he wasn't as grim as he had been. "If I had any doubts about your being human, young lady, I don't anymore. Pokémon don't think that way. Shall we join the others?" He asked, gesturing politely.

"You is one scary lady, Kagome." Meowth muttered. "Dat was hero talk. Heroes is _crazy. _I hope you get home soon. Otherwise I'm one dead Meowt'."

"I'm no hero, Meowth." Kagome said. "I just try to help people."

"Yeah. Dat's hero talk too." Meowth said in a dejected voice. "I'm a goner for sure."

"I'll try not to get you killed, Meowth." Kagome said, chuckling. "All we have to do is talk to Professor Hale, find the unown, convince them to change me back into a human and take me home. No problem. I want a nice, boring story from here on out."

"Boring's good." Meowth agreed. "Oh, _snap_." He'd just got a good look at the crater. "How deep you tink dat is?"

"Twenty feet." Professor Elm said cheerfully. "It looks like sacred arrow makes the target explode from the inside out. Remarkable."

"Yeah." Meowth said faintly. "Nuttin like a big hole in da ground to put a science-type in hog-heaven. Or scare da living daylights out of a poor Meowt'."

Kagome peered into the hole. It looked like a meteor crater. She guessed that was caused by the roots exploding. She resolved to avoid fights while she was still in this world. The thought of what her attack could do to a human being left her queasy.

"Poplar trees." Professor Elm announced. "That's why the damage was so much more extensive than your last attack, Kagome. They're weak against transverse shearing force. Here's an interesting fact, did you know that poplar wood and human bone have the same load strength? In other words, if you took a human thighbone and an equally thick poplar stick, they'd break from a blow of equal force. Isn't that _interesting_?"

"I could have gone all day without knowing that." Kagome said in a careful voice.

"Me too." Pikachu answered. Meowth just shivered, looking at the trees. Some were two feet thick. The blast had snapped them like twigs.

"They look like matchsticks." Ash said, poking around curiously. "Glad Squirtle put out all the fires."

"That's the other interesting thing." Professor Elm turned back several pages in his notebook. "Apparently sacred arrow heats up the target. If my calculations are correct the tree experienced a sudden temperature increase of over 250 degrees centigrade. It's as if you put the tree in the oven and turned it up as high as it would go." He smiled happily. "Actually it's more like you used a microwave oven because it happened to the entire tree, all at once. That's why the tree exploded--all the sap turned to steam all at the same time. Marvelous!"

"Can somebody please make him stop talking?" Misty said quietly, looked positively green. She was imagining what would happen to a pokémon or a _person_ that was struck by sacred arrow.

Kagome felt sick. She didn't have to imagine. She remembered the pieces of demon that rained down after one of her arrows exploded in the middle of a demon swarm sent by Naraku.

"The energy of each sacred arrow is absolutely unbelievable!" Professor Elm was babbling on, unaware of how it was affecting his audience. "An entire tree, raised by 250 degrees! If you translate that into the mass of an average pokémon--"

"_Stop talking!" _Kagome snarled, startling everyone. She stared at Professor Elm. "Please stop talking about it. I know how bad it is. I use it to kill demons. Some demons are pokémon sized! _So_ _just stop talking_."

"Kagome says to stop talking about it, Professor." Meowth said quietly. "She's really upset. See, she uses dose sacred arrows to kill demons. She says some demons are pokémon sized. So she knows exactly what it does. And she don't like it."

"But this ability is--"

"Professor, it's upsetting the children." Professor Oak said, putting his hand on his younger colleague's shoulder. "Perhaps it would be better if we left you to collect your data in peace while we go back to the helicopter?"

"Of--of course. I'm sorry if I upset anyone. It's just this is so amazing!" Professor Elm was _still_ clueless concerning the effects of his lecture. "It's completely unprecedented!"

Professor Oak gestured behind Professor Elm's back for the others to leave. Everyone did, glad to be away from Professor Elm's cheerful catalog of gruesome tidbits.

"Thank goodness!" Misty exclaimed when they reached the helicopter. "I thought he'd never stop!" She shuddered.

"He means well." Professor Oak said ruefully. "It's just he lets himself get so wrapped up in his research he forgets everything else. Are you all right, Kagome?"

She nodded, lying down in the grass. She refused to meet anyone's gaze.

"What's the matter Kagome?" Ash asked, confused.

Kagome spoke briefly to Meowth, refusing to look him in the face.

"She says she's rememberin' all the sacred arrows she shot. Rememberin' when it weren't _trees_ she hit."

Kagome closed her eyes and laid her head on her paws, letting out a deep sigh. Pikachu moved over to her and patted her on the shoulder.

"You'll be home soon." The mouse told her.

"I'm being stupid." She said, not moving. "I know those demons would have killed people. I _know_ that. But there are times I wonder if there was something else I could have done."

"Dat's rough." Meowth said quietly. "Sometimes there ain't nuttin' you can do. So's youse just gotta do da best ya can."

"Yeah." She rose to her feet and shook herself like a dog, fluffing her fur. "Enough with the self pity. I've got to get home and this isn't helping."

She looked at Professor Oak and spoke. Meowth shrugged and translated.

"She says she'll keep her promise, Professor."

As the kids looked on, confused, Professor Oak nodded soberly.

"I believe you, Kagome."

"Promise?" Misty asked. Professor Oak shook his head.

"It's a private matter, Misty. Nothing to worry about."

Misty started to get angry at being so casually dismissed but Brock put his hand on her shoulder and shook his head. Misty subsided, looking uncertainly between Kagome and Professor Oak.

"As soon as Professor Elm is done we'll be on our way to Greenfield." Professor Oak announced. He started to study the results from the instruments.

"Any idea how long that might be, Professor?" Brock asked.

"No idea." Professor Oak shook his head. "If it's more than an hour I'll go fetch him."

In the end Professor Oak did have to retrieve Professor Elm. By now the sun was halfway down the sky, leaving another few hours of daylight. The two professors packed up the equipment and they were on their way.

Professor Elm was quiet, but not because he was afraid of upsetting them. He was working hard, doing calculations in his notebook the whole trip.

Three hours later the helicopter landed in a field near a huge mansion.


	10. 10 Ruins on the Edge of the World

Chapter 10 - Ruins on the Edge of the World

True to his word Inuyasha had killed several rabbits and skinned them during the night. By the time the others woke up the rabbits had been spitted on sticks and were roasting over the fire.

"My my, Inuyasha, you have been busy." Miroku observed.

"Yeah, well don't get used to it." Inuyasha grumbled. "We gotta move, so I did the work while you guys slept the day away."

"It's barely past dawn." Sango objected, raising her hand to conceal a yawn.

"Oh boy, fresh rabbit!" Shippo waved his tail in excitement. "I love rabbit!"

"_Pir_." Kirara, now in her kitten form, batted at one of the rabbits experimentally.

"Thought we could cook 'em now and have lunch on the march." Inuyasha said offhandedly. Miroku and Sango exchanged glances behind the hanyou's back.

"I'm sure Kagome is all right, Inuyasha." Miroku said carefully. "She's a resourceful girl."

"Yeah, but she gets in over her head way too much." The half-demon complained, grabbing a rabbit and tearing the cooked flesh off with his teeth.

The others took their share and ate with better manners. Even Shippo and Kirara had better table manners than Inuyasha did. He tended to eat like a dog, bolting his food as fast as he could stuff it in his mouth. Even Kagome had given up trying to civilize him.

Once the meal was complete and the extra meat stored for later Myoga the flea appeared.

"Good morning, Lord Inuyasha." The flea said from within Inuyasha's long white hair.

"Well if it isn't Myoga." Inuyasha said with a smirk. "And here I thought the crickets had driven you away in the night, flea."

"No need to be insulting, my Lord." The flea answered in a frosty tone. "I'm ready to guide you to the ruins. At our best pace they are a good three days away."

"That far?" Sango asked, dismayed. "Are you sure we'll find the _ikujinashi _there, Myoga? Kagome might need our help."

"Who can say?" The flea said philosophically. "If they are to be found anywhere they will be found in the _Sekai no Haji_."

"The edge of the world?" Sango asked, curious.

Myoga looked mysterious. "There are those who translate it as the _shame_ of the world, Sango."

"That has an ominous ring to it." Miroku commented as he mounted behind Sango on the transformed Kirara's back. "Shippo, you better travel with us. Inuyasha can run faster if he isn't carrying a passenger."

"That's right." Inuyasha agreed. "Myoga don't count. You guys ready?"

Shippo safely nestled between the monk and the demon slayer, Kirara lifted off the ground, tiny flames licking around her paws. Nodding the half-demon sprang into a ground-eating lope that he could hold for days on end.

"So, Myoga, tell me about these ruins." Inuyasha said as the landscape streamed past.

"There's not much to tell, Lord Inuyasha." Myoga said. "No one knows much about the ruins except they are very old--and neither humans nor demons built them."

"How's that possible?" The hanyou asked, frowning. "There's demons, and humans, and whatever these _ikujinashi _things are. _Ikujinashi _don't got hands, and demons don't build stuff. That leaves humans."

"_Sekai no Haji_ wasn't built by humans, Lord Inuyasha. I can tell you that much. Your father was a great demon who loved knowledge, unlike many demons. I traveled to the ruins with him because he wanted to study them."

"Huh." Inuyasha said. "Never knew that."

"Oh yes, my Lord. Whenever his duties permitted he was a great student of the past." Myoga nodded, mustaches fluttering in the wind of Inuyasha's passage. "The walls of that place are massive, far beyond what humans could lay. Each stone weighs many tons. Yet it lies in ruins. Your father knew of it from ancient lore, it has been in ruins since the earliest tales he was able to discover. More than five thousand years!"

"So?" Inuyasha asked, shrugging.

"Humans came to this land much later, my Lord."

"So if humans didn't build it, who did?"

"That is a mystery no one has solved. But the inner chambers and corridors are covered with strange carvings in the shapes of _ikujinashi_. Your father determined there are twenty-eight tribes of _ikujinashi_ from studying the inscriptions."

"Yeah, they were shaped differently. I remember that." Inuyasha agreed. "So if these things come in different tribes how come they swarm together? Most demons of different tribes tear each other to pieces on sight."

"I know not, Lord Inuyasha." Myoga said. "It may be _ikujinashi_ are not demons at all. Certainly no demon admits knowing where they lair."

"Great. So they ain't demons, and they ain't humans and they don't lair in this world _or _the next. You think Miroku's right and they come from Heaven?"

"I don't think so, my Lord. Heaven's messengers are always utterly beautiful and supremely powerful, as befits servants of the gods." Myoga replied.

"Well they gotta come from _somewhere_." Inuyasha retorted in irritation. He increased his speed to work off the feelings of helplessness and rage. Kirara growled her displeasure but matched the half-demon. Although her face was not as expressive as a human's the demon cat's whole demeanor was that of one sorely put-upon.

"Inuyasha, slow down!" Sango called down to him. "Kirara's having trouble keeping up carrying three!"

"Sorry, Kirara!" He shouted back, slowing his pace. Kirara gratefully matched him.

"Inuyasha's not been himself since Kagome was abducted." Miroku commented, starting down at the running hanyou.

"I know." Sango said. "Attacking Shippo like that? And I thought he was going to go after you too. His determination to get her back is turning into an obsession. I'm afraid it's affecting his judgment."

"What judgment?" Shippo muttered from between them.

"I just hope when we find the _ikujinashi _he doesn't attack them on sight." Miroku said, ignoring Shippo's snide remark.

"Yes, that would be bad." Sango nodded. "Where Kagome's safety is concerned he tends to charge in before thinking."

"Inuyasha has many good qualities, but patience is not one of them." Miroku agreed ruefully. "Nor is he skilled at deduction--or diplomacy. When we find the _ikujinashi_ I think I should be the one to approach them. I'm not a demon and I _am_ a monk. Perhaps my inner peace will keep them from fleeing."

"That's assuming we _can _find them." Sango said. "Just because they've been seen at these ruins of Myoga's doesn't mean they're there right now."

"A point." Miroku admitted. "One I wouldn't mention to Inuyasha."

Sango snorted. "I'm not completely dense, Miroku. The only thing worse than a raging Inuyasha is a hopeless Inuyasha. He might think he's got no reason to hold back then."

"Exactly." Miroku said. "Shippo, not a word about this to Inuyasha, ok?"

"Of course not. Besides, we _are _going to get Kagome back." Shippo replied with the certainty of the very young.

They travelled without incident until mid-afternoon when Miroku spotted specks in the sky, paralleling their route. There were a lot of specks.

"_Saimyoushou_." He said to Sango. "Inuyasha! _Saimyoushou!_" He shouted, pointing to their right.

"I see 'em!" Inuyasha shouted back. "Looks like Kagura's with 'em too. They're headed this way. Guess they know we spotted 'em."

"You think they want to fight?" Sango called down.

"Suites me if they do!" Inuyasha called back. "Let's stop and get ready. If she wants to fight, I'll cut her in half!" He stopped and drew Tetsusaiga, waiting. Kirara landed and Miroku jumped down. Shippo slipped off and concealed himself behind a tree.

Sango debated a moment and dismounted as well, readying her boomerang. Kirara stared at the approaching insects, growling softly.

As the _saimyoushou _approached everyone could see the gigantic hell wasps, each almost a meter long, and the woman riding a giant feather in their midst.

"Greetings, Inuyasha." She called down, hovering about ten meters from them.

"What do _you_ want, Kagura?" Inuyasha said, pointing his sword at her.

"Just checking to see if you're still alive." Kagura said easily. "Naraku sends greetings. He was very annoyed you killed his giant demon, you know."

"Too bad for him. He should have stuck around. I'd have gladly killed him too!"

"Where's Kagome? Did she perish in the demon's belly?" Kagura asked. "Too bad, I rather liked her."

"Kagome's just fine." Inuyasha said with a straight face. "But you might not be if you stick around here. Or hadn't you noticed Naraku's incarnations tend to die suddenly when they meet us?"

"Relax, Inuyasha, I didn't come to fight." Kagura said. "I came to deliver a message."

"What is it?" Inuyasha demanded.

"Naraku hasn't forgotten about how much trouble you and your friends have caused him." Kagura said. "His message is to put your affairs in order because the next time you meet will be the last time. He's tired of you interfering."

"Well ain't that just too bad." Inuyasha snickered. "Seems to me we heard that song before, and we're still here. I got a message for _him_. Tell that putrid excuse for a half-demon the next time I see him I'm gonna pluck that damn spider's legs off one at a time and beat him to death with 'em. Oh, and Kagura we know about his heart now. And we're gonna tell _everybody_ about it, every single one of Naraku's enemies. About half of 'em already know. You tell him that."

"Are you sure you want me to tell him that, Inuyasha?" Kagura's tone was amused. "He may come after you and everyone you've told."

"Good. Past time for him to die." Inuyasha said, grinning. Shaking her head the woman turned her feather and sped off. The _saimyoushou _followed her.

"Was that wise, to taunt him like that, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked, frowning.

'Who cares?" Inuyasha shrugged as he sheathed Tetsusaiga. "We're gonna kill him sooner or later. The more enemies know about his weak spot the better."

"But I thought you wanted to be the one to kill him." Sango said.

"I do. But he nearly killed Kagome in that giant demon's belly." Inuyasha said. "If somebody else can destroy his heart more power to 'em. At least Kagome will be safe."

"That's very mature, Inuyasha." Miroku said, surprised.

"Yeah, well, we all gotta grow up sometime." The hanyou said gruffly. "Mount up, we gotta lotta ground to cover."


	11. 11 Zubat Finds A Door!

Chaper 11 - Zubat Finds A Door!

Everyone got off the helicopter and headed for the mansion. The pilot came with them, obviously glad to stretch his legs.

"Ash, you actually know Professor Hale." Professor Oak said. "He and your mother are great friends. I believe he visited you a few years ago."

"Oh, yeah! I remember. Mom called him Spencer. I didn't know he was a famous professor though!" Ash exclaimed. "He brought his wife and daughter too."

"His wife vanished without explanation." Professor Oak said quietly. "Molly's all he has left now. And the search for the unown, of course."

"Gee, that's terrible." Misty said. "Do you think the unown did the same thing to his wife they did to Kagome?"

"It's possible." Professor Oak said thoughtfully. "She was helping him with his research. Had been since they were students together. Losing his wife hit him pretty hard. His other assistant is named Schuyler, and the two of them have been obsessed with the unown ever since."

"Oh no!" Kagome said. "If she ended up in feudal Japan…" She shook her head. "Well, let's just hope she didn't. For Molly's sake."

"Why?" Pikachu asked.

"Because she probably wouldn't have survived." Kagome said bluntly. "Feudal Japan is a dangerous place. With all the wars and the demons, not to mention she would expect demons to act like _pokémon_…"

"I see whatcha mean." Meowth commented.

"Sounds like they really think the unown took his wife." Kagome said sadly. "I don't understand why they would do that."

"Why'd they take you?" Pikachu asked.

"I think it was an accident." Kagome replied. "I was in the middle of the swarm when Shippo hit them with foxfire. They panicked and ran for home."

"Sounds like they're pretty timid." Pikachu remarked.

"Yeah. Maybe Professor Hale's wife startled them?" Kagome said. "If they panic easily maybe they took her like they took me. I'll bet my spiritual powers let me communicate with them somehow. I could feel their emotions while I was with them. That could be why they sent me here. His wife might not have been able to make them understand--which means she might still be in their world." Kagome brightened. "If that's the case then she might still be all right."

"Lotta _maybes_, Kagome." Meowth said. This drew the attention of the humans.

"What are you talking about, Meowth?" Brock asked.

"Kagome was thinkin' maybe they nabbed da Professor's wife 'cause she scared 'em. Kagome says she tinks dat's why dey snatched _her_, 'cause dey panicked and run home."

"It sounds reasonable to me." Professor Elm said. "Remember they are seldom seen, and have never been reported to interact with either humans or pokémon. Being xenophobic could explain it."

"Huh? Xeno-whatsis?" Ash asked in confusion.

"Xenophobic. It means having a fear of strangers, more specifically a fear of those who are different from you. These unown seem _very_ different from normal pokémon. If they are easily panicked as well that could explain the abductions." Professor Elm said excitedly. "Kagome says she was in the middle of the swarm when they panicked. Maybe their method of dimensional travel means anything in the center of the swarm goes along with them."

"They can lift heavy things off the ground." Kagome said, nodding. "As a human I weighed about twice what I do now. They yanked me off the ground really fast."

"Kagome says dey is strong, dey lifted her up really fast." Meowth translated without prompting.

"Professor Hale will be fascinated." Professor Elm said with certainty.

By now they had reached the house to find an elderly man standing on the porch.

"Hello!" Professor Oak called. "We're here to see Professor Hale. It's very important."

"I'm sorry sir, but the Professor is at the ruins, along with his assistant." The man replied formally. "May I tell the Professor who called for him while he was away?"

"Professors Elm and Oak. It's imperative we speak with Professor Hale at once. Can you tell us where the ruins are?" Professor Oak said in an urgent tone. "It concerns the unown."

The other man hesitated.

"May I see some identification, please?" He asked, extending a hand. Professor Oak pulled out his wallet and opened it, handing the man a plastic card. After a brief study the other man handed it back.

"My apologies, Professor Oak. Professor Hale is very protective of the ruins. He doesn't want them disturbed by members of the general public. However, given your credentials and reputation, I see no reason not to tell you. They are located approximately fifteen miles to the northeast, and should be quite visible from the air."

"Thank you very much." Professor Oak bowed and was about to turn away when Misty spoke up.

"Um, I hate to ask but could I borrow your bathroom before we go?" She asked nervously.

"Of course, miss. If you'll follow me I'll show you where it is." The man opened the front door and Misty followed him into the house.

"While we're waiting for Misty I should warn you about not touching anything in the ruins." Professor Oak said, staring at Brock and Ash. "Archeology is about teasing the tiniest of clues from where they've been buried for thousands of years. Please don't touch _anything_, or you might accidentally wipe away a vital scientific discovery. Also, ruins can be dangerous so don't go wandering off exploring. There can be sinkholes or a floor could give way or a roof collapse unexpectedly. I know you're both sensible, but I also know how exciting ruins can be. Please be careful, both for your own sakes and the sake of any discovery waiting to be found."

"Of course, Professor." Brock said, very seriously. "I'll make sure Misty knows as well."

"Pikachu, you heard the Professor?" Ash said, rubbing the yellow mouse's head. "Don't go wandering off."

"Of course not!" Pikachu assured him with a smile. Ash smiled back, having no clue what the pokémon had said, except that Pikachu was agreeing.

"Kagome, that goes for you too." Professor Oak said. "I imagine you're familiar with safety issues, but please remember an archeological dig is a delicate place. One misplaced footstep can destroy irreplaceable clues."

Kagome nodded. She _was_ familiar with caves and ruins and all kinds of dangerous places. But she didn't want to be the one to ruin an archeological dig site!

"Meowth, I'll tell you right now there is no treasure in the ruins." Professor Oak said sternly. "There's nothing to steal that you could sell. The only value lies in their scientific value. You understand?"

"Yeah." Meowth sounded disgusted. "No treasure. What's so interestin' about a bunch of ruins anyhow?"

"A great deal." Professor Elm said, face lighting up. Meowth winced, realizing his mistake too late.

"You see, Meowth, the tiniest clue can tell us how humans lived thousands of years ago. A broken pot shard can tell the experienced eye an enormous amount of information! Did you know that, for example, a pottery shard let us know what kind of food our ancestors used to eat? They found microscopic traces of material embedded in the clay! It proved we were eating oats some 3,000 years ago! Also, pottery shards can tell you which cultures were trading with each other, or how techniques for making pottery traveled across the world."

"I'm sure Meowth understands now, Professor Elm." Professor Oak broke in smoothly. "_Don't_ you, Meowth?" Professor Oak winked at Meowth, out of Professor Elm's view.

"Oh yeah! Very important!" Meowth said, nobody's fool.

"Looks you owe him one, Meowth." Pikachu said, chuckling. Meowth just rolled his eyes but kept his mouth shut--a first in Kagome's experience. Fortunately Misty chose that moment to return and the group headed back to the helicopter.

The ruins themselves proved no problem to find. Finding a place to _land_, on the other hand was a different matter. The ruins were perched on top of a mountain, facing out over a desert. The forested hills behind the mountains had no clearings. The ruins had no open spaces large enough to land in.

Finally the pilot spotted what looked like a base camp at the foot of the mountain. There were a few cars and some tents. A road seemed to meander around the base of the mountain and head back to town.

Once the copter landed and everyone disembarked they found the camp deserted.

"Looks like we've got a steep hike ahead of us." Professor Oak said ruefully. "It's getting dark, so it looks like Professor Hale and his staff are going to be spending the night in the ruins. Let's stay here and we'll either meet them in the morning when they return or hike up to the ruins ourselves when we have the light."

Professor Oak had foreseen the possibility of camping out so he'd brought all the necessary gear for himself, Professor Elm, and the pilot. The kids, of course, had been camping out for months. Kagome's new body was well adapted for the wild, although she found the desert wind a bit lacking in aroma. She'd gotten used to the rich array of scents her new nose could detect. The desert offered little aside from sand.

Since there was no water Misty left her pokémon in their balls. Brock and Ash followed suit.

"Hey, Pikachu, what's it like inside a pokéball?" Kagome asked sleepily as everyone was settling down. Her only answer was a soft snore and she was too comfortable to wake the sleeping pokémon. She resolved to ask Pikachu in the morning.

The next morning Kagome completely forgot her idle curiosity in the hustle and bustle of getting ready. The archeologists had not returned to camp and the group was going to have to make a very long and steep hike up the mountain to find Professor Hale.

They set out after a meager breakfast, reaching the ruins after an hour's hard climb on a steep path that was almost non-existent in places.

"Wow." Ash said once they'd reached the top. "That was _really_ a hard walk!"

"Oh, but look at the view!" Brock enthused, staring out over the desert. "It makes it worth the hike!"

"Speak for youse own self." Meowth muttered. "Looks like da world's biggest sandbox ta me."

"I think it's a beautiful view." Kagome said. "I've never seen a desert before, except in movies."

"Look there!" Pikachu exclaimed, pointing. His outburst caught the human's attention.

"About time!" Misty said, shading her eyes. "Looks like we found the dig site."

There were a few tents in the distance, and they could see several flags planted near what looked like holes with ropes around them.

"Ok kids, remember what I said. Don't touch anything without permission, and don't wander off. These ruins are ancient, and may not be safe." Professor Oak said. "And if somebody got hurt we're a long way from help."

The kids nodded soberly, promising to remember.

_Of course they've been wandering the wilderness for months already_. Kagome thought to herself. _They seem pretty sensible to me_, _it's not like they can't take care of themselves. Still, no need to be stupid. It _is_ a long way back to the helicopter._

"No pilfering, Meowth." She warned. Meowth shrugged.

"I ain't got no pockets. Sides why would I wanna steal broken pots?" He asked reasonably. "Dey ain't wort' nuttin'."

Professor Oak glanced at him briefly, and then led the group toward the camp. Once they got there they found the camp deserted.

"Now this is getting spooky." Misty complained. "First the camp down below is empty and now this one is too. Did the unown kidnap _everybody_?"

"No Misty, I'm sure they're all busy excavating the ruins." Professor Oak said with a smile. He turned away and Kagome saw him frown briefly.

_He's worried_. She realized suddenly. _But he doesn't want to scare the kids._

"Relax guys." Brock said, staring at some pots and pans stacked haphazardly on a table underneath an awning. "Look there. You can see they didn't wash the dishes, and the scraps of breakfast still haven't had time to dry. Looks like they had oatmeal this morning."

Brock's jovial comment dispelled the tension. Even Kagome had begun to wonder…

"How are we going to find Professor Hale?" Professor Elm asked. "We don't want to go wandering around the site willy-nilly. We could disturb something."

"I know!" Ash said, reaching for his belt. "Pidgeotto, I choose you!" He tossed the pokéball into the air. It burst open and a large predatory bird that reminded Kagome of a hawk appeared. She'd met Pidgeotto her first night in this world and found the bird to be a lot like Inuyasha--brash, fierce, rough-mannered but still loyal to his friends. Also, unlike Vulpix, he didn't have a superior attitude to the rest of the pokémon.

"Pidgeotto, fly around and see if you can find anybody." Ash called up to the bird. "Come back and show us when you do."

The bird dipped a wing in acknowledgement and started spiraling upward, looking into the distance as he did so. With a cry of _Got it!_ only the pokémon understood he suddenly shot off toward a cluster of buildings. Circling for a moment, he sped back to the group.

"Follow me, I found them!" Pidgeotto called down. Kagome and Meowth set off and the humans followed, Pikachu on his accustomed place on Ash's shoulder.

"Hello there!" Professor Oak called as the group approached a couple of men working in a roped off hole about three feet deep.

"Who are you?" One of the men asked, standing up. He carefully climbed out and walked toward them.

"I'm Professor Oak and this is my colleague Professor Elm." Professor Oak introduced himself. "And these are Ash, Brock, Misty, Kagome, Pikachu, and Meowth. We're here to see Professor Hale on an urgent matter. We have some vital information about the unown that he needs to hear about immediately."

The man's eyes widened. "Professor Oak! Hello! My name is Jasper Laurel. I'm a great admirer of your work!" He shook Professor Oak's hand, smiling and enthusiastic. "I'm an archeological student, working for Professor Hale. He and Schuyler are probably at the temple complex. I'll be happy to show you the way."

"Thank you, Jasper." Professor Oak said, smiling back.

"Hey Cole!" Jasper called back to his co-worker. "I'll be back in a minute. these people need to talk to Professor Hale."

The other man waved an arm vaguely, concentrating on something in the pit and ignoring the visitors.

Jasper set off at a brisk pace the others had trouble matching, especially Meowth with his short legs.

"It's a real honor to meet you, Professor. Your book _An Illustrated Guide To Kanto Pokémon _was one of my favorites as a child. It helped inspire me to major in the archeology of human/pokémon interaction."

"Oh my." Professor Oak said, clearly flattered. "I'm honored, Jasper."

"Here we are!" Jasper announced, stopping in front of a large building surrounded by others. There was an electrical generator running loudly by the entrance, with electrical cords leading inside, however the interior was dark. Jasper took a flashlight from his belt and led the way.

The interior of the ruin was surprisingly well preserved, and after a few tunnels and rooms Jasper was able to shut off the flash light and led them into a huge chamber lit with floodlights.

Two men were bent over a makeshift table littered with paper and what looked like boxes of debris. They looked up when the group entered.

"Hello Jasper. Who have you brought us?" One of the men asked cheerfully.

"Hello Spencer." Professor Oak said, walking forward.

"Samuel! You old bulbasaur! It's great to see you!" Professor Hale took Professor Oak's hand and gave it a mighty shake. "So what brings you all the way to Sekai no Haji?"

Kagome gasped, it emerged as a whine. She darted forward toward Professor Hale.

"Meowth! Get over here _now_." She yelled. Startled, everyone turned to look at her.

"A white ninetales? With lavender markings?" Professor Hale said in a puzzled voice.

"You dunno da half o' it." Meowth said with a grimace.

"A _talking_ pokémon?" He asked, flabbergasted.

"Yup." Meowth said proudly. "You is lookin' at the world's one and only translatin' pokémon. Da name's Meowt'."

"Never mind that, Meowth!" Kagome said frantically. "_He spoke Japanese just now_."

"Huh?" Meowth stared at her. "No he didn't. He spoke Human."

"No! Meowth, _sekai no haji_ is Japanese! It means 'the edge of the world!" Kagome said, almost hysterical. "Tell he that's what _sekai no haji _means! The edge of the world!"

"Kagome says to tell you _seh-kai-no-ha-jee_ means da edge of da world in her language." Meowth said. "She says you was speakin' Japanese just now, not Human."

"Remarkable!" Professor Hale stared at Kagome with an astounded look. "It took us ten years to learn what the name meant. How did a pokémon know?"

"She ain't a pokémon, egg-xactly." Meowth said. "It's a long crazy story and I still ain't sure I believe all da details."

"Spencer, Kagome's story _is_ utterly fantastic but I believe her." Professor Oak broke in. "Her sacred arrow attack is like nothing I've ever seen before. She claims to come from another world. She also claims the unown kidnapped her and transformed her from a human into a pokémon."

"_What?_" The color drained from Professor Hale's face. "Samuel, do you know that means?"

"Yes." Professor Oak nodded deliberately, his face sympathetic. "Your wife could have been kidnapped too. In fact Kagome thinks that's exactly what happened."

"But why would they do that?" Professor Hale said. "Pokémon don't harm humans! Why would they take her?" He looked ten years older suddenly, and his hands were trembling.

"Kagome thinks the unown are easily panicked." Professor Oak said gently. "Apparently when Kagome met them something had taken over their minds, and she broke the control. They surrounded her and one of her companions attacked them. They panicked and when they returned to their own dimension she was dragged along, probably by accident."

"Then she could still be all right? Margaret might still be alive?" Tears started running down Professor Hale's face.

"I don't know, Spencer. It's possible. But I don't want to give you false hope." Professor Oak warned him.

"Meowth." Kagome said quietly. "Exact words, ok?"

"Yeah." Meowth said, subdued, watching Professor Hale cry.

Kagome jumped up and put her front feet on Professor Hale's stomach. He looked down at her, startled.

"Kagome says she's terribly sorry about your wife, Professor Hale." Meowth translated somberly. "She tinks da unown took your wife by accident, to where dey live. She says it ain't a bad place, it's beautiful dere. But Kagome says she's got spirit powers and could feel what da unown were feelin'. Dat's maybe why she could make dem understand her, a little. Dat's why dey changed her and sent her here. She was trying ta go home but da unown didn't understand completely. Dey found da curse and tried to make her fit da curse, as close as dey could."

"But your wife maybe don't got no spirit powers. So she couldn't talk to dem da way Kagome could. She could still be dere, instead of da world dey took Kagome from. And if dat's da case, den she's probably still okay."

"And if they put her in Kagome's world?" Professor Hale asked, cheeks wet but voice grim.

"Den she's probably dead." Meowth translated, the words dropping in the silence like rocks.

"I see." His face turned severe. "She must be in the unown's world. Because she _is not dead_." He looked into Kagome's eyes. "Do you understand? I would _know_ if she were dead."

Kagome nodded, believing him. She jumped down, sitting in front of him and tried to radiate serenity. He needed to believe his wife was alive, the way she needed to breathe. Right now it looked like it was the only thing keeping him going. She wasn't going to be the one that took it away from him.

Besides, she believed his wife was still alive too, if for very different reasons.

"Why are you here, Samuel?" Professor Hale asked in a quiet voice.

"To find the unown, so Kagome can ask them to send her home."

"I see." He stared at Kagome. "I'll help you, but in exchange you have to promise to ask them to give Margaret back."

"Of course." Kagome said instantly, nodding. "Now that I'm a pokémon I should be able to talk to them."

He glanced over at Meowth.

"She says now dat she's a pokémon, she can talk our lingo." Meowth obligingly translated. "So she can make da unown understand her."

"Will she try to get my wife back?" Professor Hale demanded.

"Yes. I promise." Kagome said, nodding slowly and deliberately.

"She says she promises." Meowth said. "And dat's like money in da bank. She's a Hero see, like in da old days." He shivered. "She's gonna get me killed for sure."

"What? Why?" Professor Hale asked, curiously, absently wiping the tears from his face.

"Cause dat's da way da world works. Da poor sidekick kicks da bucket savin' da hero so's da hero can save da day. Everybody knows _dat_." Meowth said morosely. "Or da bad guy aims for da Hero and da Hero ducks. Only da sidekick's a little slower, see? And dey don't duck 'cause dey didn't see it comin'."

Even Professor Elm was staring at Meowth now in fascination.

"So Kagome is a hero?" Professor Hale asked, unable to let the matter drop. Kagome winced in embarrassment.

"Oh yeah." Meowth said gloomily. "She hunts tings dat eat people. And she's _humble_ too. Dem's da worse kind, ya know? Cause dey don't believe dey's Heroes. And dey do da heroic stuff and all da while sidekicks is droppin' like flies."

"Is that true?" Professor Hale asked Kagome in bewilderment. She shook her head.

"See? What'd I tell ya? _Humble_. I'm doomed." Meowth hung his head.

"Wait a minute, _eats people?_" Professor Hale did a double-take. "You hunt things that eat people?" He asked Kagome.

She nodded.

"Told ya." Meowth said glumly.

"Tell me everything you know about the unown." Professor Hale sat down cross-legged in front of Kagome. "After you do that I'll tell you what I know and we'll see what we can come up with. Agreed?"

Kagome nodded and with Meowth's assistance started telling her story for what felt like the tenth time. She told him about the curse, about how the unown had appeared, how the foxfire had driven them to run back to their world, dragging Kagome along. He pressed her for details about what the unown looked like, as many specific shapes as she could remember, what patterns she could recall, if they'd made any sounds. It took over an hour. He listened with an intensity that made her uneasy, but was patient and relentless, digging out every single detail she could remember.

He concentrated on her transformation, on the unown's world, every little detail, like a starving dog licking an empty food dish. Until she was completely drained.

"Thank you Kagome." He said finally. "Every scrap of information is useful--you never know which tiny detail might be a vital clue. All right, my turn."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"People have known about these ruins for centuries." Professor Hale began. "It wasn't until a couple of hundred years ago that scientists began exploring this city. They found the usual debris, garbage pits, broken pottery, and in this particular temple they found a slab." He looked at Kagome.

"It had writing on it, the characters of which looked like the unown. On the reverse side was another ancient language called Ruylen. Fortunately Ruylen was a widely spoken language in ancient times and scholars could translate the text. That's how we know as much of the unown script as we do. The texts on both sides were identical."

"There's a stele at the edge of the city, that gives us its name, Sekai no Haji. There are a few other carvings, a handful of slabs, but just enough to be tantalizing. What we know of the unown come from rare sightings, usually in the ruins. In the last century there have been twenty sightings--three of which were actually observed by archeological teams. We know the unown are real, we know they have strange abilities." He looked at Kagome.

"And now we know they occasionally kidnap people. Thanks to you we also have some idea where they come from--and a singular opportunity to communicate with them. Assuming we can make them appear."

"Dat's all?" Meowth said in disbelief. "You brainy types have been studyin' dese ruins for _two hundred years_ and dat's _it_?"

"Of course that's not _it_." Professor Hale said, frowning at the cat. "That's all we know about the _unown_. There are reams of records concerning the ruins themselves. A whole library full."

"Oh." Meowth said. "So how do we go about callin' 'em?"

Professor Hale slumped. "I have no idea. If I did don't you think I'd have already done it?"

Kagome felt her ears droop.

"What about secret doors, Professor?" Ash asked excitedly. Kagome sighed. He'd obviously been watching too much TV.

Professor Hale smiled wanly at the ten-year old. "Good idea, Ash. Where do you suggest we start looking?" He waved around the huge chamber.

"Well I was kinda hoping you'd know." Ash mumbled, crestfallen.

"I'm not trying to be mean, Ash." Professor Hale said in apology. "I've been studying these ruins every day for the last eight years. There might very well be secret passages like in the movies, but if there are I don't have the budget to find them."

"But aren't you rich?" Misty asked, bewildered. "We stopped by your mansion."

"Ah, but I'm not allowed to fund my own research, young lady." Professor Hale said. "The archeological board strictly forbids that kind of thing. In the old days you see, unscrupulous men would fund research so they could steal the treasures for themselves. They outlawed self-funded research over fifty years ago."

"What kind of equipment would you need, Professor?" Brock asked, obviously interested. "Is it really that expensive?"

"Oh yes." Professor Hale nodded. "I'd need ground penetrating radar at the very least. Probably ultrasound sonar for the walls. A single piece of equipment like that would cost twice my whole annual budget!"

"Ultrasonics, huh?" Brock grinned. "I think I've got your equipment right here, Professor!" He stood up.

"Zubat, I choose you!" Brock said, tossing a pokéball into the air. A large bat materialized, fluttering in an impressive hover.

"Zubat, use your supersonic attack to see if there are any hollow places in the walls." Brock said. "Everybody, cover your ears!"

Zubat let out an ear-piercing shriek that made everyone cower and yell in protest. It flew around the room once and stopped in front of a section of wall. Thankfully the shriek stopped.

"Found it." Zubat squeaked in a voice so high Kagome could barely hear him through the ringing in her ears. She had a headache too.

"Oww, warn a guy next time!" Meowth complained.

Brock went over to the wall and thanked Zubat, returning him to his pokéball. Professor Hale joined Brock quickly, running a hand over the area.

"I've studied this wall a hundred times." Professor Hale said quietly. "I never guessed there was a secret passage here. Thank you Brock that was a remarkably good thinking."

"Thanks, Professor." Brock said, pleased. "So how does it open?"

"Don't know." Professor Hale said cheerfully. "But rest assured I'm going to find out! Jasper, Schuyler, bring the entire team here immediately. The rest of you, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Sorry, but it might be dangerous. If it's been sealed up there could be bad air or a collapse when we open it."

"We understand, Professor." Professor Oak said. "You'll let us know as soon as it's safe?"

"Absolutely. I'll want Kagome close in case we find anything. I don't know how long it might take, though. It might be a couple of days. Or longer." Professor Hale looked at Kagome. "I'll be as quick as I possibly can, but this kind of discovery can't be rushed. You understand?" He stared at her somberly.

Kagome nodded, knowing he was thinking of his wife. If he could be patient in the face of that temptation, she would honor him and do the same. No matter how badly she wanted to go home…

Jasper lead them back outside. "I've got to get back, but you can find the camp, right? There's a radio there if you need to contact anyone, and we'll send somebody back when it gets dark. Sometimes Professor Hale works really long hours. I'm thinking tonight is going to be one of those nights. Oh, there's a well if you need water, its east of the camp, the third street and take a left. You'll see the derrick with the bucket. The latrine is in the opposite direction from the camp, it's easy to find. Listen, I have to go. Thank you so much, Brock. You have no idea how important this is!" The man hurried off.

The party returned to the camp to wait for Professor Hale to solve the door.

Two days later they were still waiting.


	12. 12 Dog vs Spider: Naraku Attacks

Chapter 12 - Dog vs. Spider: Naraku Attacks

Inuyasha was not a patient half-demon. Each night when they stopped to sleep he paced. And hunted for food they could eat on the march the next day. His demonic endurance let him put off sleep, and he set a pace Kirara was hard-pressed to match since she was burdened with three passengers.

If anything tried to bar their progress it soon regretted it. A bear-demon was sent off howling when Inuyasha kicked it in a sensitive place, not even bothering to slow down. A human army on its way to attack a fortified town had to change its plans when Inuyasha bashed his way through, severely injuring the foolish general that personally tried to bar his way.

Miroku and Sango were growing increasingly worried about how Inuyasha would react when they reached the ruins. With each passing day he got worse.

"Inuyasha, we're going to reach the ruins tomorrow." Miroku said as they ate dinner and prepared to sleep on the last night. "You need to sleep so you'll be ready."

"Yeah, yeah. I ain't sleepy, monk. Mind your own business." Inuyasha growled.

"_Inuyasha!_" Sango snapped with uncharacteristic volume and harshness. Startled the half-demon eyed her.

"If we have _any _hope of getting Kagome back it won't be by fighting. If you go to the ruins tomorrow you'll destroy any chance she has of being rescued. Is that what you want?"

"No, of course not!" He said heatedly.

"The _ikujinashi _are cowards. You go in there _at all_ and you'll scare them away. And without them we can't get Kagome back. _Ever_." Sango stared Inuyasha in the eye. "You leave this to us, understand?"

"Hey, you can't--"

"_Yes_, Inuyasha. I can. Kagome is my friend. She's _nakama_, just like you. I want her back. If I have to tie you up and _sit _on you, that's the way it's going to be. You understand me?"

"Sango--" The hanyou was clearly nonplused. Sango glared at the half-demon, not backing down.

"Fine." Inuyasha snapped. "I won't go to the ruins. I'll let you handle it. Just don't screw it up."

"Miroku will be going to the ruins, Inuyasha." Sango said, relenting. "As a monk we think his spiritual discipline gives him an inner peace the _ikujinashi_ should sense so he won't scare them away. The rest of us will stay close, in case something else shows up. But not _too _close."

"Inuyasha, I'll do my best." Miroku said. "Kagome belongs with us, not with the _ikujinashi_. I know you want her back as much as Sango and I do, but this time you can't fight. We have to negotiate, and you know I'm better at that."

"Yeah." Inuyasha smirked. "You con rich people who should know better by exorcising demons that aren't there. Guess you can con the stupid flying kanji too."

Miroku let the insult slide off him, grateful Inuyasha was cooperating.

"He's got you there, monk." Sango said, grinning. Miroku winced. An insult from Inuyasha was one thing, but Sango's barb _stung_. Particularly since there was more than a little truth to it…

"Regardless, we are in agreement I'm the best person for the job." Miroku said evenly. "I'll go to the ruins at first light and see what if anything is there."

"What do you mean, _if anything is there_, Miroku?" Inuyasha tensed, suddenly alert and suspicious. "They _gotta _be there."

Miroku would have cursed under his breath if he hadn't been a monk. Then he had an inspiration.

"I mean if there's anything there that could keep the _ikujinashi_ away." Miroku said. "Demon spirits or something. At any rate, for Kagome's sake we need to have our wits about us. And that means getting a good night's sleep."

"I guess." Inuyasha said reluctantly. "Hey Myoga! Get out here!

"Yes, Lord Inuyasha?" Myoga appeared, leaping from somewhere within Inuyasha's waist length white hair.

"How far are we from the ruins?"

"We should be there early tomorrow, my Lord." Myoga said. "We've been travelling faster than I anticipated."

"Anything you wanna tell us before we get there, flea? Anything likely to jump us?" Inuyasha demanded.

"No, my Lord. Demons avoid the ruins. They are far from any good hunting grounds or human territories. And there is, oh how can I put this, something _uncomfortable_ about the ruins."

"Uncomfortable?" Inuyasha raised a skeptical eyebrow. "For demons or humans?"

"Both, actually." Myoga replied. "The very stones ooze ancientness, my Lord. And strangeness, as if they don't belong in our world. The longer you stay the stronger the feeling becomes. I was always glad when your father decided to leave there."

"Ha. You would be." Inuyasha smirked. "All right, tonight we sleep. We'll get an early start and let Miroku do his con job. Once we get Kagome back its back to business as usual."

"Don't worry, Inuyasha." Shippo piped up. "We'll get Kagome back, you'll see!"

"'Course we will, Shippo." Inuyasha nodded and promptly lay down and went to sleep. The others exchanged startled glances, but soon joined the half-demon in slumber, unaware they were being watched by unfriendly eyes.

The next morning they had a tiny breakfast and set out. By mid-morning they caught sight of the ruins.

"Oh my." Sango said as they scouted the ruins from the air. "That's not just some ruins, that's a _city_! Myoga never mentioned that little detail. Where do we even start looking?"

"Look for the biggest building." Miroku suggested. "The bigger the building the more important it's likely to be." He studied the ruins. "Like that one, near the middle. Looks like a temple."

"Sort of." Sango said, studying the sprawling complex. "Even if it is, how do we know that's where the _ikujinashi_ will be?"

Miroku shrugged. "We don't, really. Maybe Myoga can give us a clue. He says he's been here before."

"Kirara, let's head back." Sango said to their flying mount. Obligingly, Kirara turned and sped back toward their campsite in the forest. As they drew closer a pillar of smoke and debris leaped into the air.

Kirara snarled and dove, letting the dive increase her speed. The two passengers on her back clung tightly as the forest rushed up to meet them. Another blast of dust and smoke exploded upward.

"Inuyasha's fighting something!" Miroku yelled over the roaring of the wind as Kirara dove.

"Oh no, its Naraku!" Sango said, spotting two familiar figures in the clearing. She slipped the boomerang off her back with a practiced movement and clinging with her legs prepared to fling the enormous V-shaped bone.

Miroku had carried his staff across Sango's belly and now used it as a handle, leaning to one side to avoid the giant boomerang as it sliced backward toward where his head had just been.

"_Hiraikotsu!_" She shouted to waken her weapon's spirit as she hurled the massive boomerang downward toward the figure in blue.

The boomerang accelerated as it headed toward the floating man who was wearing weird bone armor jutting with razor sharp fins everywhere. Except Sango knew the "armor" was actually part of Naraku's body.

Sango's shout alerted the figure, who spun in midair to see the boomerang slicing toward him. With an amused smile he slid to one side. The boomerang changed course and homed in on the figure, who didn't try to evade a second time. Just before it struck him the boomerang bounced off thin air, which unexpectedly shimmered in a pale purple globe that completely enclosed the demon. The boomerang spun back toward Sango, who caught it by the handle, absorbing the momentum with her arm, the edge barely missing both Kirara and Miroku as it swung around.

Kagura suddenly raced out of the treetops on her giant feather, surrounded by a dozen _saimyoushou._

"_Dance of Blades!" _She shouted, violently swiping her fan across her body.

Kirara fell downward to avoid the white arcs of hardened wind that Kagura unleashed, which passed harmlessly overhead. Had they connected they would have sliced the monster cat and her riders into bloody chunks.

Miroku grimaced. With the deadly hell wasps present he daren't unleash his most powerful attack.

"Adamant_ Barrage!"_ Inuyasha roared swinging his sword in a wide sweep that ended with a wrist snap, his huge sword pointed straight at Naraku's back. Oddly, Tetsusaiga looked like it was coated in ice.

A dozen spears of diamond exploded from the sword, each one a good meter long and five centimeters wide. Naraku spun back to face Inuyasha, his eyes widening as the spears flashed across the gap separating the two combatants. Before he could react, several spears passed effortlessly through the glow that had defeated Hiraikotsu, three punching completely through his body, leaving holes in his stomach, chest, and throat.

"Put me on the ground!" Miroku shouted.

"Kirara, swoop down!" She called. The monster cat continued its fall, curving so it skimmed the ground. Miroku flipped off Kirara's back just as the cat started to climb back into the sky to fight Kagura and the hell wasps.

He hit the ground running and swung his staff hard, almost like a golf swing. There was a loud _crack_ as the staff parried the naginata blade aimed at Inuyasha's undefended back.

The wielder looked like a white-haired child of no more than six. But Miroku, extremely strong and experienced in combat, nearly buckled under the force of the blow from the demon child.

"How unsporting, Hakudoshi!" Miroku taunted as he snapped the butt of his staff around to try and crush the demon child's skull. "Inuyasha! I'll handle Hakudoshi, you deal with Naraku!"

"Right!" Inuyasha spun out of the way as a massive bony arm sprang from Naraku's back and across the twenty meters that separated them. It slammed into the ground where the hanyou had been standing. Inuyasha brought the blade of his sword around and sliced completely through the bony arm. A purple gas began spewing out of the stump.

"Miroku, watch out! Miasma!" Inuyasha yelled. It turned out the warning was unneeded, the monk and his demon child opponent were by now halfway across the clearing well out of range of the poison gas. They were trading savage blows, dodging and weaving rather than parrying each other's weapons. Inuyasha turned back to Naraku and launched another wave of diamond spear death toward Naraku. Several connected, and Naraku's barrier flicked.

In the air above the battlefield Sango was fighting with her sword in one hand and a retractable scythe-like wrist blade on the other, defending Kirara from the _saimyoushou _and their stingers, while at the same time Kirara was tangling with Kagura, the monster cat having to dodge Kagura's blades of wind, mindful of the human woman on her back.

On the other hand, Kagura wasn't having the easiest time dodging the monster cat's claws and teeth. Her kimono already bore several slash marks from the big cat's claws and she was bleeding from some of them.

Hakudoshi couldn't land any blows against the monk but Miroku hadn't gotten lucky either. Both fighters were getting winded, although the demon child had the endurance edge. It was only a matter of time before Miroku made a fatal mistake.

Which he did.

With a cruel smile Hakudoshi thrust the naginata with the cunning twist of the blade that should have gutted Miroku like a fish.

But the monk wasn't quite where Hakudoshi thought he was. The spear's curved blade missed the human by millimeters.

Taking advantage of the demon child's lunge, Miroku stepped toward his opponent and slapped a handful of sutras across his surprised face, covering eyes, nose, and mouth. The paper religious charms flared with a pure white light, and caused Hakudoshi to scream in pain. The charms burst into flame but before Miroku could deliver the killing blow Hakudoshi leaped three meters backwards and formed a barrier similar to Naraku's. Angry red and charred black stripes crossed his eyes and ran straight down his face from his forehead to his chin. Strips of skin had peeled away, revealing the bone underneath. From the way he shook his head it was clear the demon child had been blinded.

It was also clear Hakudoshi had had enough. Still inside his barrier he lifted into the sky, his injuries not instantly regenerating the way he was used to.

"Next time, monk, it won't be _Inuyasha_ I kill." The shout was almost incomprehensible because the demon child's upper lip was burned completely away and his lower lip hung from his chin.

"You didn't kill him this time either, Hakudoshi." Miroku shouted merrily. He unwrapped the prayer beads from his right hand and extend his bare palm toward the retreating Hakudoshi.  
"_Wind Tunnel!" _He shouted.

Immediately a roaring wind rushed into the cursed hole in his palm. Hakudoshi and his barrier halted as the wind grew stronger, and began to reverse direction toward the monk. Instantly several _saimyoushou _broke off their attack on Sango and Kirara and headed full speed for Miroku.

_"Miroku, look out!" _Sango screamed, "Damn you, Naraku!" Freed from the need to defend against the hell wasps she sheathed her sword and unlimbered Hiraikotsu. Letting Kirara deal with the wind sorceress she launched the boomerang after the _saimyoushou _attacking her fiancé.

Warned by Sango's shout Miroku hastily covered his wind tunnel, lest they sting him on the way into the void. He raised his own barrier just as the hell wasps reached him. Frustrated by the barrier the _saimyoushou_ hovered, making them easy prey for Hiraikotsu, which sliced them in half as it struck. It bounced off Miroku's barrier and spun back toward its mistress.

Unfortunately, this gave both Hakudoshi and Kagura time to retreat, the wind sorceress able to climb far faster than the burdened Kirara. She launched a final set of blades to make Kirara dodge and widen the distance to the point where Kagura was able to spin her feather and make a break for it.

Seeing his allies retreat, Naraku cursed and began to withdraw as well. Inuyasha launched a final adamant barrage toward the demon but none connected as Naraku jinked sideways, the diamond spears completely missing him.

"Damn!" Inuyasha ranted as Miroku and Sango joined him. Shippo slipped out of concealment to join the group as well.

"That stinkin' spider got away _again_. _Coward!_" Inuyasha screamed toward the rapidly retreating dots.

"I managed to tag Hakudoshi with special sutras. He won't be able to heal that damage any time soon." Miroku said with satisfaction.

"Kagura got pretty cut up too." Sango said. "She never had the healing ability of Naraku or Hakudoshi. She should be out of it for a couple of weeks at least."

"Yeah, I punched lots of holes in Naraku too. Not that _that's _ever bothered him much." Inuyasha said in disgust.

"The important thing is we've bought some time." Miroku said reasonably. "Whatever his plans he's going to have to hold off for a few days at the very least. That should give us time to get Kagome back."

"So what did you see in the ruins?" Inuyasha asked, dismissing Naraku in favor of the problem at hand. "Did you spot the _ikujinashi?_"

Miroku shook his head. "No. Myoga didn't tell us how big the ruins were. It's a _city_, Inuyasha. Searching it could take us months."

"I knew that damn flea was worthless. Hey Myoga! Get your useless hide out here _now_." Inuyasha shouted.

"Uh, yes my Lord?" A quavering voice said from Shippo's shoulder.

"Ducked the fight again, I see." Inuyasha said, through gritted teeth. "You are such a _coward_ Myoga."

"I'm also two and a half centimeters tall, my Lord." Myoga pointed out mildly. "Hardly a match for the likes of Naraku. My value lies more in my information gathering skills than combat."

"Yeah, whatever. And speaking of your so-called skills, how come you didn't tell us the ruins were a city?" Inuyasha demanded.

Myoga blinked. "I assumed it was obvious, my lord. What else would they have been?"

"I dunno! Maybe a castle or something. Not a _city_. It'll take us forever to find the _ikujinashi_ in that place!"

"No, my Lord." Myoga said in a placating tone. "They always appear near the library, it is said. Usually _inside_ the library itself. There is a central chamber whose walls are covered with strange writing shaped like the _ikujinashi_ themselves. The chamber is lit for much of the day by cunningly concealed light wells. At your father's request I explored the light wells and polished several old metal mirrors used to reflect light. On a sunny day the chamber is bright enough to easily read the walls--if one knew the script."

"Ok, so Miroku goes into this chamber and what, meditates?" Inuyasha asked. "How does he make the _ikujinashi _appear?"

"Alas, my Lord, I cannot answer for I do not know." Myoga said sorrowfully. "They will not appear if a demon is present, no matter how small. They are frightened even of _me_. On the other hand, Master Miroku, being a monk and having great inner peace, might not frighten them if he sits quietly."

"Great." Inuyasha snorted. "Let's assume Miroku does manage to find them, or summon them, or whatever. What then? How does he talk to them?"

"The _ikujinashi_ are said to respond to emotions, my Lord. They seem to sense them. My humble advice would be for Master Miroku to mediate on Kagome, and his desire to have her returned safely."

"That's _it?_" Inuyasha said, obviously unimpressed.

"Not everything can be solved with violence, my Lord." Myoga said in disapproval. "The _ikujinashi _are timid. Any timid creature will flee if threatened. But it is said that despite their timid nature they are also insatiably curious. A human meditating in their library might intrigue them."

"Sounds like a pretty thin hope, Myoga." Inuyasha said grumpily.

"Alas, it is what it is, Lord Inuyasha." Myoga said quietly. "There is nothing else to be done."

"I agree." Miroku said, standing. "Sango, if you and Kirara would give me a lift to the edge of the city it should only take me a couple of hours to reach the library."

"I'll go with you, Master Miroku." Myoga said. "So I can point out the library. I shall return with Sango and Kirara after we drop you at the edge of the ruins."

"Shippo, you stay here with Inuyasha. We'll be right back." Sango said, mounting Kirara.

The two demons watched as Kirara headed toward the city, descended out of sight. After a minute or so they saw her ascend and head back.

Once Sango had dismounted Kirara returned to her kitten form, yawned and found a shady spot. She curled into a ball and went to sleep.

"And now--we wait." Sango said.


	13. 13 Portal Pokémon!

Chapter 13 - Portal Pokémon!

Late at night on the second day the archeological team stumbled into camp, loudly enough to wake Professor Oak's group. The team sounded jubilant and rowdy. Kagome stuck her head out of the tent she was sharing with Misty.

"We did it!" Seeing her head poking through the tent flap Professor Hale strode toward her. "We opened the hidden door. We're going to let the tunnel air out overnight anfd go back in the morning. I want you to come along, Kagome."

Kagome nodded her head vigorously. She wanted nothing more than to get on with it.

"What's going on?" Misty asked sleepily. Kagome turned back to the girl and grinned, her tails actually wagging like a dog's. In the close quarters of the tent all nine tails moving so rapidly made quite a racket. She patted Misty's shoulder with her front paw and then left the tent.

By now Professors Oak and Elm were talking to Professor Hale, and Ash and Brock had also gotten up, Pikachu blinking sleepily on Ash's shoulder. Meowth was nowhere to be seen, most likely still sound asleep and snoring.

For such a small cat he had a _loud _snore. That's why he'd been banished to the furthest tent from the rest of the group.

Kagome didn't need him at the moment so she decided to let him sleep. She was starting to feel guilty about how much she was depending on him for translation--even though he'd brought it on himself by trying to kidnap her. But at least she could understand everyone, even if the humans couldn't understand her.

That's why she joined the three Professors and sat down quietly to listen to their conversation.

"--and the corridor was covered with script, from floor to ceiling." Professor Hale was saying. "I didn't want to risk bad air but I took several photos." He extended the camera and showed the others the camera display.

"That's wonderful news, Spencer." Professor Oak said in a warm voice. "Kagome, you're halfway home." She nodded, optimistic that he was right.

"The door was actually powered by hydraulics, can you believe it?" Professor Hale said excitedly. After all this time the mechanism still worked! Amazing craftsmanship. The trigger mechanism turned out to be a carving of a _door_." He shook his head ruefully. "How dense can someone be? I've stared at that wall for years, Samuel. Never dreamed it had a hidden door there." He laughed.

"I guess we were _too _cautious. We were so careful not to disturb the site that even when we cleaned the trigger we never pressed hard enough to open the door! Guess that's a lesson learned, eh?"

"So when will it be safe to enter?" Professor Oak asked.

"Well, the tunnel air should be safe by morning. We set up a small fan to force air in." Professor Hale said. "I'm going to tie a rope around my waist and see if the tunnel is structurally sound. If it is I'll come back for the rest of the team. Once we see what the situation is you and the others can enter. It should take a couple of hours, tops."

"Well it sounds like we're going to have a big day tomorrow." Professor Oak said, rubbing his hands in the desert night's chill air. "I suggest we all get to bed for a good night's sleep."

"I want to get these pictures loaded on my computer, but after that bed sounds perfect." Professor Hale agreed. "Not as young as I once was, these long nights are definitely taking their toll." He grinned and headed off to his tent.

The next day the team set off early for the ruins, leaving Professor Oak's group to sleep in. After a leisurely breakfast the group set off for the library. They made their way in to find Jasper the only person in the central chamber. The hidden door, now an open portal, turned out to be a good two and a half meters high and a generous meter and a half wide, the tunnel's darkness dispelled by lights placed in the tunnel.

"Hi Jasper." Professor Oak said, smiling. "How goes it?"

"We found another chamber!" Jasper said excitedly. "It looks like the mother-load too! We found a large table, along with a chest filled with stone tiles. We think they're spare letters for lining the walls. Professor Hale is sure the tunnel and chamber are safe. You can go on in, just be very careful not to touch anything, ok?"

"Right." Professor Oak nodded. "Kids, remember, the slightest misstep could destroy vital clues. You can look all you like, but _don't_ _touch_."

"We understand, Professor." Brock said in a serious tone. Misty and Ash nodded solemnly.

"Very well, then." He led the way into the tunnel.

The tunnel was about as large as the door, and each sidewall was covered with large tiles about fifteen centimeters wide, with a single character per block. Each character was shaped like an unown. Randomly scattered tiles were completely blank.

Kagome wrinkled her nose at the odd smell. It smelled dusty but there was a sharp tang to the smell that she couldn't place. Her new nose was so sensitive she couldn't always recognize familiar odors. They were far richer and more complex than in her old body. Instead of a single odor (like hot chocolate, say) she could now smell the chocolate _and_ the whipped cream _and _the cup it was in _and _count the number of marshmallows in it--all from a single whiff.

Of all the sensations her new body gave her, the enhanced sense of smell would be the one she truly regretted losing.

"Can you smell that?" She asked Meowth.

"Smell what?" Meowth asked. "Just smells like old rocks ta me."

"Like dust, but there's something tangy too." Kagome said absently.

The corridor ended in a large room, which held the team members and a huge table. On the table was a chest, a cube with a rounded top about two-thirds of a meter across. The top of the chest was open and several tiles like the ones on the walls were laid out on the table.

The walls of this room were also covered in tiles. Kagome absently studied a wall and suddenly felt a chill go through her.

"That's _impossible." _She said aloud, not realizing she'd done so.

"What?" Meowth demanded, attracting the humans' attention.

"I _recognize _the letters! They're written in the English alphabet! Made up to look like unown, but still--" Kagome said, not believing it. "I can even read some of the words."

"You _can_? What's it say?" Meowth demanded eagerly.

"Meowth, what's going on?" Ash asked impatiently.

"Kagome says she can read some o' da letters. Says dere in _In-glish_, whatever dat is."

"This word says _come_." Kagome said, staring at the odd letters. She wished she could remember more English. "And this one's _delta_. Let's see. _The delta _something_ is the_, um, _crux of the _something, something, _spanning_ something _worlds_."

"The words are laid out left to right, top to bottom." She said. "I remember thinking how weird English was to be laid out that way."

"_Meowth._" Ash demanded. "What's Kagome _saying_?"

"Um, Da delta is da crux o da something spanning worlds." Meowth said, scratching his head. "And she says its funny how da letters go, from left to right, top to bottom."

"But that's how writing's supposed to go." Ash said.

"Some ancient languages were written right to left, Ash." Professor Hale said. "Ruylen, for example. Kagome, why is In-glish weird for having that layout? What did you expect?"

"Well, Japanese is written top to bottom, each column going right to left." Kagome said. Professor Hale shook his head at Meowth's translation.

"I'm not familiar with any language that uses that ordering." Professor Hale said. "But if you can read the script it would make things go quicker."

"I don't know that much English." She said in frustration. "It wasn't one of my better subjects."

"She says her In-glish ain't so good." Meowth translated. "Hey Professor, can't youse read da walls?"

"I can, but translation would take hours for a few paragraphs." Professor Hale replied. "Kagome, see if you can find the word _summon_."

"I'll try." She scanned the walls, her eyes blurring from staring too hard. After an hour she was ready to give up when she happened to glance at the table.

"There!" She said triumphantly. She studied the inscription. Racking her brain she managed to translate the text.

"It's a poem." She said. "Meowth, word for word please."

"Gotcha!" Meowth said, quivering with suppressed excitement.

Kagome took a deep breath.

"_Summon us at dire need  
We the dancers whirling black  
Desires true, the living seed  
Bridge the river of hopeless lack!_

_Tile to tile, soul with wings  
When weeping heart steels mind  
And fingers make the square stones sing  
My longing they will bind!_

_Given now their earthly flight  
Worlds apart are plighted  
Unown dance in dark delight  
What was broken, reunited!"_

"That's the key." Professor Hale said in deep satisfaction. "That's how the unown can be summoned."

"What do you mean, Spencer?" Professor Oak asked curiously. "I mean the poem is certainly a wonderful clue but what does it mean?"

"You can't see it Samuel?" Professor Hale's eyes were blazing, his manner transformed. Kagome shivered. This wasn't a kindly archeologist. This was a maddened Captain Ahab closing in on the White Whale. As she recalled, his obsession had finally killed the captain. She hoped Professor Hale didn't meet a similar fate--and her along with him.

"We're in a _library_, yes?" He said, leaning forward. "What does one do in a library?"

"Read?" Ash guessed when no one else seemed willing to answer.

"Yes, Ash, _read_. But in order to read one must first _write_." He pointed to the massive table. "_There_ is our parchment, and our ink!"

"The tiles!" Kagome exclaimed, catching on. "Meowth, ask him if we're supposed to recreate the poem on the table with those tiles in the chest."

"Exactly!" Professor Hale said with a manic grin when Meowth translated. "That table is very precisely shaped, my friends. There is a depression that I am certain is precisely large enough to lay the tiles in that chest and form a perfect square. Schuyler, how many tiles will fit on a side?"

Schuyler took a measuring tape and measured the table.

"Nineteen." He answered. "Exactly nineteen."

How many letters are in that poem?" He demanded eagerly. Like the other script in the room the poem was laid out in a grid, making the counting easy.

"354." Schuyler said. "Counting the three exclamation points."

Professor Hale frowned for a moment, whipping out a calculator. "Nineteen squared is 361. Wait, it will still work!" Nearly running he moved to the table and with a triumphant cry snatched up a tile, bringing it back and brandishing it like Holy Writ.

"Yes! We _have_ found the key. _Look!_"

"Yeah?" Meowth said, scowling in confusion. "Dere ain't nuttin' on dat rock, egghead."

"_Exactly_." Professor Hale relaxed. "That's because it's a _space_, Meowth."

"I get it!" Misty said excitedly. "If the poem's too short you put spaces on the end of it to finish the square. Just like laying tile on a floor."

"_Yes_, you clever girl!" Professor Hale grinned. "Someone count the tiles. I predict there will be 361 of them."

Schuyler, who had seen where his employer was headed, was already counting, piling tiles haphazardly wherever they would fit.

"361." He announced in a couple of minutes.

"_Yes!" _Professor Hale shouted, raising his fist in triumph. He burst into maniacal laugher, making the kids stare with dropped jaws and his colleagues to exchange worried glances. Kagome was growing alarmed. If Professor Hale broke under the pressure now things could get very ugly.

"There's no time to waste. We've got to assemble the poem and summon the unown." Professor Hale moved toward the table.

"Wait a minute, Spencer. Aren't you being a little hasty here?" Professor Oak laid a friendly hand on the other man's shoulder to slow him down."

"Hasty? _Hasty?_ Margaret's been gone for over two _years_, Samuel. While I was being careful and cautious and oh so professional! So cautious if it wasn't for a fifteen year old boy and his zubat I'd _still _be clueless about how to get her back. I am _done_ with caution, do you hear me?"

"That poem isn't just a clue, Spencer. It's a warning too. The very first quatrain talks about _dire need _and _hopeless lack_. We have no idea what the unown will do if they're summoned." Professor Oak argued.

"They're pokémon." Ash broke in. "Yeah, I know wild pokémon can be dangerous if you provoke them but the unown didn't hurt Kagome. If her friend hadn't scared them they wouldn't have taken her."

"That's just it Ash." Professor Oak said soberly. "Pokémon _can_ be dangerous, even when they don't mean to be. How do we know what will happen? The people who built these ruins put a warning in that poem for a reason. I can't risk the three of you for one man's desperation."

"Then leave." Professor Hale said coldly. "There's the door. Nothing's stopping you."

"Professor, I'm not leaving." Kagome said. "This is my chance to go home."

"Kagome says she's stayin'." Meowth gulped.

"Kagome can do as she pleases. She's demonstrated she's capable of taking care of herself." Professor Oak said. "But it's too dangerous for the others."

"Professor Oak, I'm staying too." Ash said stubbornly.

"You most certainly are _not_, young man." Professor Oak said forcefully. "Your mother would have my hide if something happened to you while you were under my care."

"Then what's the point of being a pokémon trainer?" Ash demanded. "Professor we've been in the wild for months now--on our own. We've faced some pretty scary stuff too. And we're still in one piece. If Professor Hale is right the unown will come _here_. How many trainers do you know that have seen the unown up close? _Legendary_ pokémon, Professor! I can't miss that. I _won't_ miss that."

"You don't know what you're talking about, Ash. _None _of us do. The unown could be angry at being summoned. They could attack, and who knows how many there will be?" Professor Oak tried appealing to Ash's good sense.

"It doesn't matter, Professor. If things get dangerous I'll run. But I'm not gonna run from shadows!" Ash glared at the old man.

"I'm staying too, Professor." Misty said quietly. "Ash is right. If we were cowards we wouldn't be pokémon trainers. You don't have to worry. If the unown are unfriendly, I'm not sticking around! But to run without _knowing_? I couldn't look at myself in the mirror."

"It may not be safe." Brock said. "But pokémon journeys aren't about being safe. You know that, Professor. The three of us make a pretty formidable team. And don't forget our pokémon either! Three trainers and fifteen pokémon aren't something to sneeze at. Not to mention Kagome and Meowth."

"Meowth, you don't have to stay." Kagome said. "If this works, I'm going home. If that happens I release you."

Meowth squirmed. "Yeah, well, I guess being wit' a hero kinda rubs off, ya know? I wanna see da unown after we been jawin' about 'em so much. Sides, who's gonna translate for ya? You needs me."

"Yes, I do." Kagome watched him. "But that's not a good enough reason to put you in danger when you don't have to be. Guess this story's not gonna have a boring ending after all, huh?"

"Guess not." Meowth said, straightening up. "Who's scared o' da unown? Bring 'em on!"

"I knew you were a hero, cat." Kagome waved her tail in a smile. "Let's do this thing."

"Yeah! Professor, Kagome says let's do dis ting!" Meowth said.

"You in or out, Samuel?" Professor Hale asked. "What about you, Professor Elm?"

"I'm _definitely_ in." Professor Elm said with a wide smile. "A ring-side seat for the appearance of one of the most mysterious pokémon in existence? You couldn't pry me away with a crowbar!"

"Samuel?" Professor Hale asked with a half smile.

"I guess I'm outvoted." Professor Oak said with a sigh. "If things go horribly wrong, perhaps I won't survive to explain what happened to Delia. That woman is fiercer than a gyarados when it comes to Ash's safety!"

"I remember." Professor Hale said with a chuckle. "Not surprising, given her past."

He raised his voice. "Members of my team, listen up! I'm going to do something stupid that may get everyone killed. Anybody wants to bail there'll be no hard feelings, and no repercussions. Katya, I think you should probably go, that ankle will be a serious problem if things turn nasty."

"I think you're right." A young woman with a walking cast on her right ankle said regretfully. "In this condition I'd just endanger the rest of you. Sorry, Professor!" She limped out of the room.

"I didn't sign up for stupid, Professor." Jasper's friend from the pit spoke up. "I'll wait in camp for the fireworks to subside. Once that happens, I'll come back and see if there's anybody left to save."

"Ah, Cole. As optimistic as ever, I see. Take care of Katya, will you?"

"Of course. And don't be _too_ stupid, hmm? You brew a mean beer." He paused. "I'd really _miss_ your beer."

Professor Hale threw back his head and laughed in honest amusement. Cole nodded to him and strode after Katya.

In the end, only two of the original six team members stayed. Schuyler and Jasper began sorting the tiles into piles of like shapes while Professor Hale studied the poem. Kagome and Meowth joined him while the kids made themselves comfortable on the floor.

Professors Oak and Elm joined the others around the poem.

"So what can we expect?" Professor Oak asked Professor Hale.

"This is a triple quatrain poem, quite common in the lands where Ruylen was spoken." Professor Hale mused. "If it _is _in the standard form, the first quatrain will be a prologue, the second instruction, and the third the result. It's a spell, you see."

"Like a magic spell?" Meowth asked skeptically. "I tought magic was hokum. Smoke and mirrors and pretty ladies what get sawed in half?"

"Oh no. Magic is quite real, Meowth. Only we don't call it that these days. We call it psychic energy. Like what Alakazam uses. Undoubtedly that's how the unown are able to pull off their dimension hopping trick as well."

"I don't like dat psychic stuff. An honest Meowt' don't stand a chance against it." Meowth complained.

"Ok, the prologue tells you what the spell is for and any preparations needed. In this case the spell tells us only the desperate should use it. It also says true desire is the fuel the spell needs to operate. I think we qualify, eh Kagome?" His smile was rueful. Her nod was equally so.

_Not wrong there._ She thought to herself.

"Now the second quatrain is more interesting. _Tile to tile_ is obvious; we have to put the tiles in the correct sequence on the table. _Soul with wings_ is pretty standard in the ancient usage. It means reaching out with the mind to seek the desired result. In this case, to desire the presence of the unown."

"_when weeping heart steels mind _is also standard poetic usage for Ruylen. It means to focus on one's desire in spite of all else. Can you do that, Kagome?"

She nodded. It sounded like what she did when she summoned her spiritual powers.

_Come to think of it there's lots of similarity between having spiritual power and being a psychic. Might even be the same thing_. Kagome thought.

"_Fingers make the square stones sing _might be a tricky one, since technically you don't have fingers." He said, looking at her paws. "However, the Ruylen phrase for _toes_ is actually _foot fingers_, so it should be ok. _Stone singing_ is a Ruylen pun, it means both _to dance_ and a poetic reference to the joy the dance evokes in the stone."

"Man, dese Ruylen was kinda weird." Meowth commented. "Whoever hearda making stones happy by tromping on 'em?"

Professor Hale shrugged. "Ancient cultures had lots of customs that seem odd to us, Meowth. At any rate the last quatrain tells us what will happen. Once the unown appear _worlds will be plighted_, meaning worlds will be joined by oath." He frowned. "That's an odd thing to say."

"You don't know what it means?" Professor Oak asked uneasily. "Spencer, you plan to use a spell and you _don't know what the result will be?_ Is that what you're saying?"

"Relax, Samuel." Professor Hale said soothingly. "Remember, the last line of the second quatrain says _my longing they will bind_. In Ruylen poetry, to bind something means to control it. It also means to achieve one's goal. Since my goal is to get Margaret back and Kagome's is to go home and return to human form I don't see how it's a problem."

"What about the part that says _unown dance in dark delight_?" Professor Oak asked. "That sounds pretty ominous to me."

"Dark is not evil." Professor Hale quoted. "You know that. Look at all the dark pokémon--houndour, umbreon, poochyena, lots of others. Besides, in Ruylen this usage of _dark_ is poetic imagery. In this case _dark _means something like _independent_."

"Something like?" Professor Oak raised an eyebrow.

"The actual concept is difficult--modern language doesn't have an exact equivalent. Besides, the last line clearly says _what was broken, reunited._ Kagome's family, her friends, her way to it was broken. Margaret's path home was broken. The meaning is _clear_, Samuel."

"I hope you're right, Spencer. Because if you're not you could be dooming us all."

"Where's the Samuel Oak who went on his pokémon journey, eh?" Professor Hale chided. "That Samuel would be urging me on."

"That Samuel grew up." Professor Oak said dryly.

"We're ready, Professor." Schuyler interrupted.

Professor Hale took a deep breath.

"Ready, Kagome?" He asked. She nodded.

Professor Oak pulled Professor Elm back to the wall. The kids got to their feet.

"Last chance to run, Meowth." Kagome said--her tails held low and stiff in nervousness.

"I'm done runnin'." Meowth said. "For once in my life I wanna be a hero."

_You already are, Meowth_. Kagome thought sadly. _You just won't see it._

"Let's do it." Professor Hale said. They began the lengthy and laborious process of assembling the tiles. Kagome had jumped up and was watching from the edge of the table. Occasionally she'd tell Meowth to inform one of the humans the tile needed to be turned one way or another. It was mentally grueling, each English word translated to Japanese in her head, then back into English and then into Human. She was exhausted when the final space tiles slotted into place.

And then Kagome saw the entire tile table light up like a Christmas tree, lights flashing over the surface, different colors chasing each other in a dizzying game of tag.

"Wow." She said, staring at the table.

"What?" Meowth asked curiously. "Why is you staring at da table so hard, Kagome?"

"The lights." She said, glancing at him.

"What lights?" Meowth asked, the glare reflecting from his face as he stared blankly at the tiles.

"You can't see them?" Kagome asked incredulously.

"Nope. All I sees is a bunch square rocks." Meowth said, eyeing her. "Or is dis some o' dat psychic stuff?"

"Kagome, are you actually seeing the power flows?" Professor Hale asked hopefully. She nodded.

"I think so." She said. He, of course, only saw her nod.

"Good! That means its working. You remember what to do, right? Dance on the tiles, keeping your desire to summon the unown firmly in your mind, reach out with your thoughts and your need. And please don't forget about my wife." The plea was delivered in a tone so lonely and bereft it made her shiver.

Standing up on the table's edge she stepped out onto the tiles, feeling the energy flow around her feet.

And then she gathered her spiritual power and began to dance, calling for the unown, picturing them in her mind, begging them to come so that she could speak to them, so she could go _home_. Her eyes closed but she could still see the table, still feel the flowing power. Her dance got faster, more confident, and she could feel reality beginning to grow thin, like dissipating smoke.

"She's _glowing_. Like her fur is made of light." Kagome heard Misty say in an awed voice. "She's so beautiful!"

"My goodness!" Professor Oak exclaimed suddenly. "Did you see that? An unown appeared for just a second!"

"Keep going, Kagome!" Professor Hale called to her. "It's working!"

_Come to me_. Kagome called into the depths of existence. _I need your help, unown! Make me human again, send me home! Bring Professor Hale's wife back to him! Undo the harm that you have done!_

"Wow!" Ash exclaimed. "There they are! There must be dozens of them!"

Kagome could feel them now. She could hear their voices, the curiosity, and the _recognition_.

And something else. Something huge. Something dangerous. And it was coming for her. But instinctively the deepest most primal part of her knew she dare not stop, no matter what. The consequences of continuing paled to insignificance against the consequences of stopping.

"Hey, there's even more now! Man, they just keep coming!" Ash was starting to get uneasy. Kagome could hear it in his voice. But she couldn't spare the attention so she bore down even harder on the desire to have the unown help her, how much she needed them.

**_We are here, Voice Of The World._**

A powerful combination of sound, spiritual pressure, and physical weight slammed her flat on the table. Around her humans and pokémon cried out in fear. Kagome opened her eyes but couldn't move. She couldn't even _see_.

**_This place is too small for us. That place is better. Let us go there._**

Bright light flooded her senses and suddenly she could move again.

**_It feels wonderful to awaken again. After so much dreaming, the sunlight is _warm!**

Looking around she found herself in the desert. Around her the humans and pokémon who had been in the library were sprawled on the sand. Surrounding her were hundreds of unown moving almost too fast to see.

Then she made the mistake of looking up.

Fighting back a scream of pure terror Kagome watched as what must have been tens of thousands of unown poured through dozens and dozens of holes torn in the bright blue sky. And they just _kept coming_.

The bright day dimmed as the black bodies of the unown blocked the sun. It was like nothing she'd ever seen, a black ocean in the sky, whose waves rose and fell as individual unown moved in an intricate dance.

**_For so many years we have slept, dreaming of the worlds, waiting for the voiceless to break their silence._**

**_And now one has. We remember the Pact, Voice Of The World. What do you wish of us?_**

And then she understood. They, all the uncountable clouds that now turned daylight to dusk; they were talking to _her_, Kagome Higurashi.

She seriously considered fainting.

By now the swarm was spreading out toward the horizon in all directions. More portals were opening, disgorging more and more unown.

And the voice was getting stronger, it was getting _smarter_. Kagome could feel it, and she felt the growing coldness, the distance in the voice.

"Undo the harm you did." She spoke, gathering her courage. "Return Margaret Hale to us. Open a path so I can go home to the place you stole me from. Return me to human form.

**_We hear you, Voice Of The World. Our long sleep has ended, thanks to you. We will honor the Pact._**

"And return all the ones you have stolen!" She called out. "All the mothers and lovers and friends and the ones no one missed! _Everyone_ you took!" An odd thought struck her, so she added. "To their _own_ worlds!"

**_If that is what you wish, it shall be done._**

The spiritual energy was growing, Kagome could feel it. The vast swarm of the unown, still growing with ever increasing speed, was bringing with it wild surges of pure power. And her connection with the swarm was getting stronger as well.

But the character of the swarm was changing. She could feel the arrogance and the pride. She could feel the contempt the swarm had for the Voiceless, their name for any creature that lacked spiritual powers (or psychic abilities). And she knew the only restraint on the swarm came from the Pact, whatever that was. They would honor the Pact--but do nothing more. Suddenly she had an epiphany, supplied from the swarm itself.

It wasn't actually a _swarm_.

It was a single creature living in billions of bodies, all at once. And it was _old_, as old as time. What she had thought of as English letters, the shape of its various bodies, were actually the creature molding itself to her expectations, echoing through time from the current moment back two hundred years.

**_You wished it so. We made your wish real. Time is irrelevant. Only your wish has significance._**

"Tell me your name." She whispered, awestruck and terrified.

**_Call Us Unown if you wish, for We are legion and We are One. We are nameless and timeless. We have no need of a name for We dance alone. Names are for those who are not Us. We have been, and are, and ever will be. _**

Kagome could _hear_ the capitals. Unown was growing more powerful, more arrogant. _More like a demon, _she thought.

**_We are as you wish Us to be, Voice Of The World. This is the Pact, and We honor it._**

"Wait, you mean I can control your _nature_?" Kagome asked, appalled.

**_If you wish it, then yes._**

"Yikes." She said, completely freaked. "All right. Don't harm anyone, all right? Humans, pokémon, demons, it's my wish you never hurt them.

**_As you wish, Voice Of The World._**

"Have you returned everyone like I asked?"

**_We have._**

"Then change me back to a human!" She said.

**_You already are, Voice Of The World. You have been so for several minutes._**

"_What?_" She squawked, looking down at her--white and green school uniform. With all the appropriate curves in all the appropriate places. She stared at her hands for a moment, stunned.

_Boy, how freaked must I be if I didn't notice being human again?_ She thought hysterically. She even had her bow and quiver full of arrows. _But it's not over yet, is it? Gotta keep it together Kagome!_

She looked around and found Professor Hale hugging a woman she didn't recognize. From his death grip and the tears, she guessed it was Margaret Hale.

"Once I'm gone, I want them to forget you, Unown. Let them remember only the little unown, your bodies. Not you, the legion of one."

**_As you wish. And what of Us? Shall we return to our dreams?_**

"What do _you_ want to do Unown? What would make you happy?" Kagome asked, not knowing how to answer the creature.

**_We do not need happiness, Voice Of The World. We are not like you, happiness is irrelevant. As long as nothing hunts Our bodies, as long as We stay in Our own place, We are content to dream and wait for the Voiceless to find their voice again._**

"That reminds me." She said. "No more kidnapping! Accidents are one thing but if it happens take the person back!

**_As you wish. The change has been made, Our bodies know now._**

Kagome had the creepy, creepy feeling she could ask for _anything_, and the Unown would grant it. The thought terrified her. No one person should be trusted with this kind of power, not even _her_. And she realized she had to give up the power soon, while she was still afraid of it, lest she choose to keep it. That thought scared her worst of all.

Naraku certainly wouldn't give up this kind of power.

"Oh no!" She suddenly remembered the tainted shard in the midst of the unown swarm, back at the beginning of the whole mess…

_Naraku must know about Unown! He was trying to gain possession of this power. If that happens he could rule **all** the worlds. Forever!_

She couldn't let that happen. She _would not _let that happen.

"Listen, in my world there's a demon named Naraku. You must _never _answer his call, or the call of those in his service! You must never obey his wishes, do you understand?"

**_Yes. It shall be as you wish, Voice Of The World._**

She glanced up, to see the portals still forming, still spewing endless unown into the world.

"Why are you bringing more and more unown into the world?" She asked, dreading the answer.

**_The more of Us in the world, the more powerful We become._**

_That's what I thought, _Kagome thought to herself. _Not good._

"Listen, are there enough of you so you can open a portal back to my world?"

**_Yes._**

A glowing circle opened and rapidly expanded. She found herself staring into a lit stone chamber not unlike the central chamber in the Library. A very surprised Miroku stared at her. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor. It looked like he'd been meditating.

**_This voice was calling to Us from your world. But he did not summon Us according to the Pact. Do you wish to return to your world here? Or shall We put the portal elsewhere?_**

"Kagome!" Miroku scrambled to his feet.

"Miroku! I'll be there in just a second, stay right where you are. _Do not_ come for me!"

"I understand." Miroku _hadn't_ been moving toward the portal. The monk had better sense.

"Unown, let me say goodbye to my friends and then I'm going to go home. Please keep the portal open until I'm done, all right?"

**_As you wish, Voice Of The World. Do you wish both pokémon and humans to understand your language?_**

Kagome suddenly realized she wasn't a pokémon anymore. She wouldn't be able to understand the language spoken here _or _the one used by pokémon.

"Yes, of course. And I want to understand what they say too. Thank you."

**_As you wish._**

She started with Meowth, who was standing the closest to her. Kneeling she hugged him.

"Thank you so much for your help, Meowth. I appreciate everything you've done for me." She whispered in his ear. The cat was taken by surprise, he stiffened. Then she felt him relax and pat her shoulder.

"Tank you, Kagome. You let dis old alley cat be a hero for one brief shinin' moment. I'll always remember youse for dat."

"You've been a hero your whole life, Meowth, you just lost your way. You take care of yourself, you hear me? And remember about the translating. You'll be rich!"

"I likes da sound o' dat!" He exclaimed as she stood up.

Pikachu hopped up into her arms without waiting for invitation. She had to fold her arms quickly so he'd have a perch.

"Don't forget us." He said.

"No chance of that!" She laughed. "Thank you, Pikachu. If it wasn't for you I might never have made it home." Unable to help herself she stroked him like she did her cat.

"Hey, a mouse could get used to that!" Pikachu said with a chuckle. She walked over to the kids, who were looking her over, never having seen her in human form. Pikachu hopped back on Ash's shoulder.

"Guys, you've been wonderful, thank you so much!" Kagome bowed, pleased beyond measure at how _right_ the gesture felt.

"It's been a blast!" Ash said, grinning. "I'm glad you're going home, Kagome, but I'm gonna miss you."

"Me too." Misty spoke up. "Is that your boyfriend?" She pointed through the portal, where Miroku could be plainly seen.

"No, that's Miroku, Sango's fiancé." Kagome said, laughing. "Now _he's _a pervert!" She hugged the startled Misty, who returned it warmly.

"Hey, can you get Psyduck out here? I want to tell him goodbye." Kagome said. Looking startled, Misty took off her backpack and fished out Psyduck's ball.

When the yellow duck appeared Kagome knelt and took one of his flippers. "Thank you, Psyduck. You taught me a lot about what it means to be a pokémon. I hope your headaches don't give you too much trouble."

"They've been much better lately, thank you for caring." Psyduck answered.

"I hope you win all of your battles from now on." Kagome said with a smile as she stood up.

"Brock, thank you. You took such good care of me. I know you're going to make one heck of a pokémon breeder one day." She paused, then shrugged and hugged him. She wasn't terribly surprised to feel a bone crushing hug in return, but he released her before the hug became embarrassing.

"It's been an honor to meet you, Kagome. Keep yourself safe, you hear?" Brock said with a warm smile.

"Hey, can I say goodbye to Onix?" She asked.

"Of course. Onix, come on out!" Brock pulled out a pokéball and released the giant stone serpent.

Kagome hugged him.

"Thank you so much, Onix, you saved my life. I can never repay you."

"My pleasure, Kagome. So, you really are a human. I'm surprised Brock let go." There was a twinkle in his eye and he chuckled.

Kagome laughed. "I am going to miss you, Onix. You take care of yourself, ok?"

The giant snake nodded.

"Professors, thank you so much. If it weren't for the three of you I wouldn't be going home now." Kagome bowed deeply to the three men.

"Mrs. Hale, I'm glad I was able to help Professor Hale get you home. He _really_ missed you."

"I know." Margaret replied, holding her husband close with one arm. "Thank you, Kagome. We've learned so much about the unown, we're going to publish a new book! I'm going to dedicate it to you."

"Thank you." Kagome was touched. She didn't even know the woman. It was strange to think they had such an intimate bond.

"Kagome, I'm glad you found your way home, but what about them?" Professor Oak glanced meaningfully at the black sky, where uncounted millions of unown still danced.

"They'll go home when I do." She said confidently, knowing it was true. Her need was fulfilled--there was no point for Unown to remain.

"One more thing, Professor. Can you make sure Meowth gets back to Stone Town? I think he's earned a ride."

"Of course, Kagome." Professor Oak assured her.

She shook Schuyler and Jasper by the hand, thanking them for the courage to stay, and for their help.

Then, with her goodbyes done she walked back to the portal.

"Unown, when I go through the portal I want you to do three things, and then my need will be complete." Kagome said. Unown didn't say anything, waiting to hear her desires.

"One, close the portal. Two, I want you to avoid my world, waking or dreaming. Do not go there, please. Three, go back to your home, and return to your dreams, and take the summoning tablets with you. Remember, I don't want this world to remember Unown, only the small unown. Do these things for me and my needs will be complete.

**_As you wish it, Voice Of The World, so shall it be. We have come to your call and honored the Pact. It shall be as you desire._**

"Thank you, Unown. Take care of yourself. Will you let me touch one of you?"

A single unown, shaped like the letter K came to hover in front of her. Gently she reached forward and caressed the creature.

"Because of you I met new friends and was able to see a new world. Thank you, Unown. But now its time for me to go home."

And with that, she stepped through the portal to join the waiting Miroku. She turned to wave at the humans and pokémon on the other said, watching until the portal shrank to a bright point and vanished with a pop.

Ash and his friends watched as the black cloud began to thin, vanishing much more quickly than it had appeared. Within ten minutes there wasn't a single unown to be seen.

Then they turned and walked back toward the base camp, to resume the lives their adventure had so abruptly interrupted.

For Ash and his friends it was an adventure they would always remember, but they all knew that new adventures awaited them in the mysterious World Of Pokémon!


	14. 14 Kikiyo’s Momentary Reflection

Chapter 14 - Kikiyo's Momentary Reflection

Walking peacefully down the forest trail Kikiyo stumbled suddenly as her sandal straps unexpectedly bit her. At the same time her balance shifted. Frowning, she managed to pull her feet out of the stubbornly clinging sandals. The effort caused her to lose her balance and sit down hard. She grimaced, and then paused, sensing a change. One hand explored the injured area, and then searched with increasingly frantic motions for something she could not find.

She smiled, and then calmly set about adjusting the straps to accommodate her newly wider feet.

Standing, she said. "Well, well, Kagome. You actually managed to do something right for a change. I thank you."

Then the priestess continued on her way, giving the matter no further thought.

In the ruins of _Sekai no Haji_ Miroku and Kagome were wending their way from the library back to where the others were camped. Kagome refused to tell her story until she could tell everyone at one time. She had no intention of repeating _this _story until it was burned into her brain.

They reached camp as the sun was beginning to set.

"I'm home!" Kagome called, spotting the familiar red kimono. Before she could take another step Inuyasha leaped toward her and in two bounds had gathered her up in a fierce embrace. She found it hard to breathe but didn't say anything, just hugging Inuyasha back and drinking in his familiar scent.

From the snuffling noises he was doing the same. Of course, with anyone else it _might_ have been muffled sobbing, but Inuyasha never cried.

"Don't you _ever _do that to me again, Kagome." He growled softly. "Getting yourself captured like that! You had us worried sick."

"Sorry, Inuyasha." She murmured, glad his embrace had relaxed enough to be comforting instead of crushing. "But I'm back, safe and sound."

"Yeah, well you take too many risks, Kagome." Inuyasha said, releasing her. "How many times have you almost died this month? I can't be saving you all the time! Be more careful!"

"I will." She promised, smiling.

"Hey, what's the matter with your eyes?" Inuyasha asked suspiciously.

"I guess I'm crying from relief." Kagome said, wiping her eyes.

"Not that." He said impatiently. "Your eyes changed color again."

"What?" Kagome blinked. "What color are they _now_?"

"Blue." He said. "Really, really bright blue. What happened?"

"_Kagome!_" Shippo came scampering up to her and leaped against her. She took a step backward as small arms wrapped around her neck. Reflexively she caught the fox demon and held him so he wouldn't fall.

"Hey Shippo, did you miss me?" She asked.

"Not as much as Inuyasha did!" Shippo said. "I knew you'd come back, but Inuyasha was really worried."

She looked from the young demon to the scowling Inuyasha. "Is that true, Inuyasha?"

"Course not!" Inuyasha denied hotly. "I knew we'd find you. How else are we supposed to find the jewel shards? Humph." He turned his head away with his nose in the air.

"Is that all I am to you, Inuyasha? A jewel shard detector with legs?" She asked angrily.

The half-demon glanced at her uneasily. "Now wait a second, Kagome. I didn't mean it like that."

"Then how _did _you mean it, dog-boy?"

"I _ain't_ no dog, Kagome, so don't you call me that!"

"I'm still waiting for an answer, Inuyasha!" She set down Shippo, who prudently put some distance between himself and the arguing couple. Miroku backed away half a dozen steps as well, knowing what was coming.

"Look, all I meant was without you we can't find the jewel shards, ok?" Inuyasha growled. "It's not like I was worried about you or anything. I figured you'd get outta trouble sooner or later. You always do. You keep turning up like a bad penny."

"It's good to see some things never change." Sango said dryly to Miroku, having come from camp. "Will those two ever learn?"

"Who can say?" Miroku shrugged.

"A bad penny?" Kagome was fuming now. "_A bad penny?_"

"I'm betting four." Miroku said casually to Sango, watching Kagome.

"A bag of candied ginger?" Sango offered. When Miroku nodded she said. "I'm betting six. Ah, here we go."

"I'll show you a bad penny you rude, obnoxious half-demon!" Kagome shouted. She took a _deep _breath. Inuyasha started backing away.

"Now, Kagome, hold on, don't--ah _crap_."

"_Sit boy! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit!"_

Inuyasha's necklace glowed brightly and he slammed into the ground, unable to rise. With each repeat of the word _sit _he was slammed against the ground even harder. By the last command he had dug a hole in the dirt deep enough to leave the back of his head flush with the surrounding ground. Kagome stormed off toward camp.

"Oh my." Sango said. "She must be _really_ angry."

"I counted seven." Miroku said casually.

"I did too. Guess neither one of us won." Sango said as she joined Miroku walking toward camp.

"What an idiot." Shippo muttered as he followed the other two.

After a minute Inuyasha managed to force his head up and spit out a mouthful of dirt.

"Why does she keep _doing _that?" He asked the gathering gloom. Only crickets answered him as he slowly fought his way free of the hole and headed despondently toward camp.

Sometimes Kagome could be so _unreasonable_.


End file.
